


Bandori D&D

by mocatastic1



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Based on a Dungeons & Dragons Game, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22925608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mocatastic1/pseuds/mocatastic1
Summary: Ako finds some strange books at a yard sale and impulse buys them because they have really neat covers. It turns out they're D&D books, and now Ako really wants to play. Maya becomes the DM, and the rest are player characters. This work does not focus on 'ships' in a romantic way, but you do get to see fun interactions between the listed characters. Also, their characters could possibly die, as all of their rolls are genuine (and I'll list them!). The first chapter just sets it all up, actual gameplay starts in chapter 2
Comments: 22
Kudos: 34





	1. Finding the books and forming the group

**Author's Note:**

> If interested, they're playing 1st edition AD&D, and specifically they're playing the module called Treasure Hunt. So if you're planning on doing that module with a group, do not read this, because there are major spoilers (but hardly anyone plays 1st edition anymore, and Treasure Hunt has been out since 1986).
> 
> Let me know if you like it, and I can run different sets of girls through other various modules/through my own modules!

“I, the Queen of Darkness, traversing the dangerous paths… eh...will find something really neat in this garage sale!”

Udagawa Ako, the talented drummer of Roselia, was picking through the odds and ends of what basically amounts to another person’s attempt to make a quick buck off of garbage. Well used pots and pans, stale clothes, and a few odd books are all that amounted to this scam. All junk. But Ako felt it. There was something calling to her, but it hadn’t appeared just yet.

“Hmm. Nothing really catches the eye, or reaches out to grab me, or shouts ‘Da DAN!’ But no matter. Ako will prevail!” Ako declared loudly, causing more than a few heads to turn. 

“Umm, that’s nice, miss. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” A quaint, middle-aged man squeaked. Clearly he was the one running this operation. 

“Oh, ah, yes, do you have anything that would befit darkness itself? Maybe a crystal ball, or a book of spells! Or drumsticks?” Ako rattled on some other various and sundry things about evil and doom, but the poor man didn’t catch much of it. 

“Well ah, no, I can’t say I have anything like that… well, there are these over here.” He reached down and pulled out a box containing many books. “Some are only in English, though, but I think it has something to do with whatever you’re on about.” 

Slowly, the man pulled out the first book, and Ako lost her breath. Pictured on the book was a wrinkled man clad in green robes, opening--or perhaps closing--two ornate brass doors. Behind him were many foul creatures, and a heap of gold treasure. 

Ako’s eyes widened, tongue held in disbelief. What it was, she did not have the faintest clue, as the cover was totally english, and in a weird font at that. The man, noting her positive reaction, pulled another book out. This cover depicted a man with an incredibly long beard and white robes, seeming to shoot fireworks from his hands as monstrous flying creatures clawed at him. Other such books were also pulled from the box. It was almost too much for Ako to handle. 

...

“You did WHAT?” Tomoe shouted as Ako tried to explain why she didn’t have any groceries but instead returned home with a dusty old box of books. “This is worse than the time you used my card to buy 100 dollars worth of stuff in NFO!” 

“I’LL PAY YOU BACK!” Ako shouted, bowing multiple times.  
“And what about dinner for tonight? Will you pay for that too?” Tomoe said, but much softer this time. “It’s alright Ako. Let’s see what you got!”

“Aw, sis! You’re the best!” Ako hugged her, but then realized something. “Ehe, well, you see...”

Tomoe picked up one of the books. “These aren’t even in Japanese! Can you even read them? This is what you got instead of food?”

“But look at that cool old man doing magic! Doesn’t he just look so cool?” Ako tried to plead before Judge Tomoe, and had it not been for her adorable smile and sad looking eyes, Ako wouldn’t have been aquitted. 

“Okay, okay, it does have a neat aesthetic.” Tomoe nodded approvingly. “But we need to at least figure out what these are and get them to someone who could actually use them. I’ll start by asking afterglow to see if they’ve seen anything like it.” 

“Alright, I’ll ask Roselia!” Ako beamed.

The Roselia Groupchat:

Ako: Fellows of Darkness, I have acquired these ancient texts through various and sundry means over the course of millennia. Is there anyone out there who could assist me with the translation of such things? *pictures of books*

Sayo: What are you talking about. Shirokane-san, translate.

Yukina: What does this have to do with Roselia.

Rinko: She bought some old books at a yard sale today, but isn’t sure what they are because they’re in a different language!

Lisa: Oh, so Ako needs our help!

Yukina: So you’re using the Roselia group chat for your own problems. This is not what the chat was designed for.

Lisa: Yukina, you shared cat photos with us last week.  
Sayo: They were rather cute though. I think it improved morale and increased stamina for a short period of time.

Lisa: Yes, so Ako should be allowed to ask for help if she needs it! Kay?

Yukina: I suppose. *cat picture*

Ako: But what about the books? Do you know what they are?

Yukina: No clue. 

Lisa: I’m also drawing a blank!

Rinko: It doesn’t look like the right size and shape to be some sort of fantasy novel. It’s shape seems more like a children’s book.

Sayo: It is not a children’s book. That man is terrifying. We may need more information than just the cover. 

“Hmphh!!” Ako pouted loudly. “Roselia isn’t being very helpful so far. What about your band, sis?”

“Well,” Tomoe began, stifling laughter. “Himari said it was gross, Ran questioned your sanity for purchasing them, and Tsugumi said that they frightened her. But Moca...Moca says she thinks it’s a game. An RPG, like Neo Fantasy Online! Played with paper and pencil, though. She says it’s called… Dungeons and Dragons?” 

Ako’s eyes widened, blinding tomoe with light reflected from a nearby lamp. “Sis… Let’s play!!!”

“No.” Tomoe said without a moments’ hesitation. “We still don’t know much about it, and clearly this is all in english, with just some japanese notes here and there.”

“But maybe someone knows how to play already!” Ako’s beaming smile caused a heavy sigh to seep out of Tomoe.

“I’ll ask around again to see if anyone knows about this game.” Tomoe’s face hinted at a smile. “But I doubt anyone will.” 

“Thanks, sis! I’ll go order some pizza for dinner now!” Ako declared, running off to her room to get some money. 

“SOIYAAAA!” Tomoe shouted with glee.

~Some time later, the pizza arrives~

Tomoe watched in joyful glee as Ako opened up the pizza boxes. The succulent, savory smell of pork, bacon, sausage, and pineapple wafted into the air. 

“Did you find anyone who knew about Dungeons and Dragons while I was away?” Ako said, looking hopeful. “No one in Roselia knew, but they said they’d ask around...”

“Mofa chaf saf fseh knofs *gulp* someone.” Tomoe downed an entire bottle of water. “She said to try asking Okusawa Misaki. Said she’s probably into that kind of thing.”

“THANKS SIS!” Ako rushed to her room to begin trying to contact Misaki. She’d never interacted with Misaki that much, but it didn’t take her long to get her number. She first contacted Kasumi, because everyone knows Kasumi. But Kasumi didn’t have Misaki’s number, so instead Kasumi provided Kitazawa Hagumi’s number. 

Ako and Hagumi texts:

Ako: Hello Hagumi! This is Ako! I’m trying to get in touch with Misaki!

Hagumi: AKO! Come to Kitazawa Meats! NOW! I’m holding Misaki down, just in case she tries to escape! 

Ako: ???

...

“Hey sis, I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be right back!” Ako shouted to Tomoe as she dashed out the door. Misaki, the knower of all things, would help Ako to play this game and justify her impulsive purchase!

~A few moments later, at Kitazawa Meats~

“Hello Hagumi! I’m here!” Ako said, opening the door. 

“Thank god.” Misaki said, groaning. She was on the floor, Hagumi sitting on top of her. “Can you get off of me now?” 

“I captured her for you, as requested!” Hagumi beamed, standing to attention and giving her a hearty salute. “She did not escape, though she tried...”

“I literally said I wouldn’t leave, Hagumi…” Misaki rolled her eyes.

“REALLY? So it’s a sleepover, then?” Hagumi dashed off, yelling something about sleeping bags and toothpaste.

“Now, what was it you wanted to ask me, Udagawa-san?” Misaki stretched, and then dusted herself off. 

“Moca chan says you know how to play Dungeons and Dragons!” Ako grinned, holding up one of the books. “I must play this!”

“Ahhh… well… I have no idea what that is?” Misaki stammered. “But for some reason, I do think I know someone who has played it… potentially.”

Ako was filled with different emotions from this news. First sadness, then gladness, then confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well you see, I was having tea with Kanon, when Shirasagi san appeared. I don’t typically associate with her all that much. She was complain--...ahem… contemplating why Maya was so interested in a role-playing game. I think it was called D&D.” 

“Oh...” Ako said, a bit disappointed. “Well, that gives me another lead!” Ako smiled. “If I find out how to play, I’ll invite you!” 

“Ahaha… well, thanks I guess.” Misaki smiled. Ako dashed out the door back towards home. It was time to call Maya. She figured out the number through the Kasumi Network.

“Hello, this is Yamato Maya speaking.”

“Hello Maya-san! This is Udagawa Ako! I have a few questions.”

“What’s up, Ako?”

“You see...” Ako continued telling the whole story on the way home. “And so that’s why I’m calling you!”

Maya was silent. She did not answer Ako for a few moments. 

“Maya, are you alright?”

“It’s alright Maya. You can do this. Don’t freak out too much.” Maya said to herself, trying to contain her excitement. “Yes, Ako, I can certainly be of assistance to you. Gather a small group together, no more than five individuals, and meet me tomorrow at my place. I’ll text you more information. I must prepare...” 

“REALLY!?” Ako shouted. “SEE YOU TOMORROW!”

Ako hardly slept that night. What was this Dungeons and Dragons game? Would it be fun? With a cover like that, it certainly should be. All of the invitations had been sent, and received. The five individuals that had accepted her invitation were meeting early on the morrow to begin their journey. 

~The Next Day~

Ako arrived slightly early to the Yamato residence, so she waited just outside. She had already been to the store earlier to pick up dice for everyone, per Maya’s specification. There were so many colors to choose from! So many styles, sizes, and varieties. ‘Just the basic seven will do’, so that’s what she purchased. 

“Hello... Ako...” The shy and ever mysterious Shirokane Rinko walked up to Ako and greeted her. “Is this… the place?” 

“Rinrin!” Ako jumped, landed, and wrapped her arms around Rinko. “I’m so glad you could make it! Yeah, this is the place!” 

“You said… it would be like NFO...” Rinko said, smiling. “So I wanted to try it out, too.”

“Shirokane san, I do hope that that’s the case.” Hikawa Sayo strolled towards the group. “I was promised an NFO experience, as well as an opportunity for bonding with members of Roselia.” 

“Don’t worry, Sayo san!” Ako grinned. “We’ll work together and have lots of fun! I think.” Come to think of it, Ako still wasn’t sure what Dungeons and Dragons was, only that it was ‘Like NFO’. But how different would it be?

“See Misaki! I told you we were gonna be late!” Hagumi shouted, pulling along a rather indifferent Misaki. “Everyone is already here!” 

“But it’s still five minutes until we were all actually supposed to show up.” Misaki argued half-heartedly. “She might still be preparing.”

Suddenly, a note slipped from under the door of the Yamato residence. It read:

‘Enter only if you are prepared, otherwise you may meet your demise! Seek adventure with an open mind, and don’t forget to be kind (I’m somewhat new to this myself huehehe)’ 

“Did Maya just threaten me?” Sayo frowned. 

“My mind is open and ready for action!” Hagumi nodded, pushing open the door. However, Hagumi stopped suddenly after she entered. “Wait, why is it so dark? And the light switches aren’t working??” The entire house was dark, and there were no working light fixtures anywhere.

“Is this part of the game? This is silly.” Sayo nodded her head in disapproval. 

“Open. Mind!” Misaki elbowed Sayo, and nodded toward Ako and Hagumi. “Think of the children.” 

“Look… the arrow points down this hall… and that door… has another note.” Rinko pointed out, pushing the plot along. 

“Oh look!” Hagumi looked inquisitively at the note. “Oh yeah, I can’t read.”

“Yes you can.” Misaki said, looking at Hagumi rather sternly. “We’ve been over this many times, Hagumi.”

“But I actually can’t read whatever that says!” Hagumi pointed using the light from her phone to illuminate the writing. 

“Oh, you’re right! What’s going on??” Misaki snatched the paper taped to the wall, inspecting it further.

“I’m just gonna go on in!” Ako said, swinging the door wide open. A large table was arrayed with many sheets of paper strewn here and there. Candles were the only source of light, as all of the shades had been drawn closed, curtains unfurled, and again the light switches were not working. Drinks were also set on the table. 

“Huehehe” Yamato Maya, dressed in robes with a hood, peered overtop of a folded piece of cardboard. “Please have a seat! I’ll show you how to play Dungeons and Dragons with this neat little adventure!”


	2. Shipwreck?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The characters are created and the adventure begins! Will they survive the first part of the Adventure? What kinds of characters will these Musicians create? How will Maya behave as a DM?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is based off of Treasure Hunt, so character creation is made easy by making them all 0 level characters, and growing them into 1st level characters. So they do not choose a class (yet). All rolls are legitimate rolls. Nothing was fudged one way or the other (except I rolled Ako's initial stats about three times, because she couldn't get anything over a 9, and I thought that would pretty much suck for her). I fully understand it seems rigged, but trust me, these numbers were genuine. Maybe my dice are just loaded idk

After everyone was seated, Maya explained some basics. “First, we must create your characters. For this adventure, we only need to prepare a few things and we can jump right in! Please roll three of the six-sided dice, or 3d6. Do this fourteen times total, and record your highest numbers.”

“Okay, but what is the goal.” Sayo said, skeptical as ever. “I understand what dice are.”

“You see, Sayo san, this will all become clear in a moment. Basically, these numbers represent your character’s statistics. They determine how good or bad you are in each category.” Maya explained. “Don’t worry about it too much, I’ll walk you through what you need to know!”

AKO ROLLS:  
17, 9, 12, 13, 10, 9, 7  
7, 4, 11, 5, 12, 12, 13

RINKO ROLLS:  
13, 8, 7, 12, 15, 10, 15  
12, 5, 9, 15, 14, 14, 15

SAYO ROLLS:  
10 15 17 14 8 17 10  
11 15 10 11 13 14 10

MISAKI ROLLS:

8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 6, 11  
12, 9, 12, 6, 13, 12, 18

HAGUMI ROLLS:

15, 16, 14, 14, 9, 8, 10  
15, 13, 13, 9, 14, 13, 16

“These are all great rolls!” Maya exclaimed. “Now, there are seven categories, which you can see marked on your blank character sheets. Strength, Intelligence, Widsom, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, and Comeliness. You are to assign the seven highest numbers to each one, however you see fit.” 

“Hagumi, I think you’re supposed to carefully choose which ones to put those numbers in...” Misaki sighed. “What do some of those things mean? I get strength, but wisdom and intelligence seem pretty similar. What’s comeliness?”

Maya continued. “Intelligence is like your ability to learn and understand complex concepts, whereas wisdom is more like your common sense and willpower. Constitution is sort of like your physical wellbeing. The higher it is, the more robust your character is. Comeliness is simply how pretty you are! When you’re done assigning numbers, please make a name for your character!”

“But what does how I look have to do with anything?” Sayo scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

“Alright, I think we’re all done!” Ako said, confirming with everyone. “Here’s what we chose!”

Ako: Str: 13  
Int: 11  
Wis: 12  
Dex: 17  
Con: 13  
Cha: 12  
Com: 12

Rinko: Str: 15  
Int: 14  
Wis: 15  
Dex: 15  
Con: 15  
Cha: 13  
Com: 14

Sayo: Str: 14  
Int: 17  
Wis: 17  
Dex: 15  
Con: 15  
Cha: 14  
Com: 11

Misaki: Str: 18  
Int: 12  
Wis: 12  
Dex: 15 (+1) (for being an Elf)  
Con: 12 (-1) (for being an Elf)  
Cha: 12  
Com: 13

Hagu: Str: 15  
Int: 14  
Wis: 14  
Dex: 14  
Con: 15  
Cha: 16  
Com: 16

“Huehehe, very well.” Maya smiled. “I should also mention my role in all of this. While you all are the players, I am the Dungeon Master. I tell the story to you, and you make decisions. Your characters will face lots of hardship, and quick decisions could save your character’s life, help them find treasure, even turn the tides of battle!”

“Can I just use my own name for my character?” Sayo asked. “It’s troublesome coming up with a name that is more meaningful, and that seems to be what you want.”

“That’s fine!” Maya’s smile grew just a tad bit evil. “But, that won’t stop your character from potentially dying. Especially in this edition of the game. If you die, your next character can’t be called Sayo! For continuity reasons, of course.” 

“Wait, characters can’t come back?” Hagumi sniffled. “I won’t let any of you die!” 

“Well you see...” Maya began but was cut off.

“Yeah, Hagumi is right! We need to work together so we don’t die!” Ako jumped from her seat. “Oh yeah. So what now? Do we fight things?”

“Not quite yet. If everyone is just going to use their actual names, then we need to determine some skills, height, weight, age, that sort of thing. You can even be a race other than human, if you’d like. I’ll let you all choose each of these for yourselves. 

“I’m just going to be me.” Sayo said. “And of these skills, I suppose I’ll choose a painter.”

“I’ll choose something interesting.” Misaki said, putting her hand in her chin. “Like a sailor. And since I have pretty good strength, I’ll also make myself pretty tall and hefty. You know, I think I’ll even be an elf! Why not.”

“I’ll… be a gardener.” Rinko said, smiling softly. “I’ve always thought... tending to plants would be calming.”

“Hagu is gonna be an armorer!” Hagumi proclaimed, grinning. “Tall and majestic, like Kaoru kun!”

“I guess I’ll be… a jeweler?” Ako looked inquisitively at Maya. 

“All of that sounds fine to me!” Maya smiled sweetly. “You’ll all start with 6 Hit Points, or HP. Your Armor Class is 10. For simplicity's sake everyone should start off with a weapon proficiency of Dagger or Quarterstaff, so note that. Beside XP, put -500. Yes, you start out in the negatives for this session! Is everyone ready?” 

“Your characters are from the Korinn Archipelago,” Maya began, “your characters know the area pretty well, and also know some of the history.”

“I would like a detailed version of the history, please.” Sayo said, crossing her arms. “As well as a map of the area so that I can familiarize myself with what I’m already supposed to know.”

“Ah, Sayo-san, Huehehe,” Maya laughed. “Here you are. Feel free to pass the map and short history around, but I’m going to continue. Our story begins with all of you on a ship, and you’re being held captive by pirates.”

“What.” Sayo quit studying the map and looked Maya square in the face. “We just started. How are we already in such a predicament. My character would nev--” 

“I suppose anyone could get overpowered, especially by numbers.” Misaki pointed out. 

Ako was fully devoted and hanging off of every word Maya said. She focused on taking in the whole experience of this new game. Rinko was also very attentive, waiting to see how things would play out. Hagumi, at about the time Sayo started barraging Maya with questions, began stacking her dice as high as they would go. 

“So anyway,” Maya continued, “you’re all shackled inside the hold of a pirate gulley. There are many others with you, but all of you are bound tightly to the hull and cots where you sleep. There are a set of keys by the door, but they are far out of your reach.” 

“Can we pick the locks?” Rinko suggested. 

“I would like to speak to the captain, and sort this out.” Sayo demanded. 

“I have pretty good strength, I think.” Misaki pointed out. “Maybe I can pry the chains loose?” 

“You try, but the locks cannot be picked, and the chains cannot be pried.” Maya nodded her head sadly. “Sayo san, you may attempt to speak to the jailer, if you wish. His name is Hafkris, and he’s very ugly. He carries a sword, and you’ve heard some very vulgar language from him already.”

“I would like to ask him if--” Sayo began, but Maya cut her off.

“Phrase it as if you are your character.” Maya smiled. “I’ll be Hafkris!”

“Okay then...” Sayo continued “Hafkris sama, do you not see how vile our situation is? You should let us go immediately.”

“An why the hell should I do that!” Maya Hafkris bellowed. “You’re just meat to be worked to the bone. Cargo. We take you to your new homes, Huehehehehe. Now shaddup!” 

Sayo and Misaki looked dumbfounded. Rinko and Ako were a little surprised, but started to get the feeling of the game a bit more. Hagumi also looked inquisitively at Maya. 

“That’s not nice!” Hagumi said. “Hafkris, do you need a hug?” 

“Hagumi... I don’t think it’s a great idea to talk to him right now... He’s angry...” Rinko looked worriedly at how Maya Hafkris would react. 

“A what?” Maya Hafkris looked genuinely startled, and then held up a clenched fist. “Don’t make me use this!”

“But you seem very sad!” Hagumi continued, ignoring the other’s pleas. “Maybe you’re doing this because you don’t have any friends. I’ll be your friend!!!”

“Suddenly,” DM Maya said, “There was a loud and thunderous crash, and the ship began lurching. Shouting could be heard from up above. Hafkris left to see what was happening.”

“Hagumi, this man has enslaved us.” Misaki reprimanded. “He’s not our friend.”

“I agree with Okusawa san” Sayo grumbled. “This man is no good. In a situation like this, we are hoping for his demise. There seems to be no way of changing his heart.”

“Hafkris reappears now” Maya proclaims. “And he takes a quarter of the slaves above decks. You are not among those taken.”

“Where are you taking them!” Ako shouted.

“Above decks!” Grinned Maya Hafkris.

“Oh my god. We already know that much.” Sayo rolled her eyes. 

“This happens a few more times, until only you five are left.” Maya said. “Suddenly, you are thrown about, first to the front of the hold, then the back. A thunderous crash shakes the entire ship. A large, gaping hole is ripped in the side of the ship, and a fiercely cold wind drives rain into the hold. The ship has come to a halt.”

“Well after all of that, surely our chains have been loosened.” Sayo looked at Maya. “I will try to free myself.” 

“Are the keys nearby?” Ako asked. It was clear to everyone in the room that Ako was fully enthralled so far. “Maybe if we can locate the keys.” 

“You don’t see them.” Maya nodded sadly. “The last you remember, they were thrown off the hook. The hold is a mess, though. They could still be somewhere, but you’re shackled and can’t move too much. 

“I’ll try to free myself as well.” Misaki said. 

“You notice that, after just a slight tug, your right hand is free!” Maya exclaimed. 

“Oh. That’s good then.” Misaki nodded. “I guess I’ll try to free my other hand now.” 

“This is easily done,” Maya smiled. “Before, you were chained in such a way that you could not use your full strength, but now you can easily pry the chain from the wall. You are free, albeit with manacles still attached.”

“Yay Misaki!” Hagumi shouted. “Free us next!”

“Ahaha, yeah, sure. I'll try to do that then, I suppose.” Misaki smiled. 

“It takes some time, but you free everyone, one at a time, in whatever order you choose.” Maya said, rolling some dice. 

“Hagumi, Ako, Rinko, Sayo.” Misaki declared. 

“When I’m freed, I’d like to search for the keys!” Ako said, taking command. “Hagumi, see if you can find anything useful, and Rinko, maybe be a lookout to see if there’s any other danger around.” 

Maya makes another few rolls. “Ako, you find the keys almost immediately after being freed. They were under some debris from the wreckage. Everyone is allowed to remove their chains and manacles. You find nothing of much use in the hold, although pieces of wood will work as clubs, and the chains can also be used as weapons.”

“Alright, then,” Sayo said. “What about food? And you mentioned the cold weather, what are we wearing? Do we need to find better shelter?”

“Rinko,” Maya said, “you notice that Hafkris is strolling up and down the beach. The ship wrecked on this beach, and there is a relatively easy way to climb down to the beach without getting too wet. You also see lots of jagged cliffs. As for your questions, Sayo, you have no food, and very little protection from the cold. The driving rain is getting everyone soaked, and the wind is causing you to shiver.”

“We must find shelter, or else we’ll catch colds.” Sayo said, looking around the table.

“I think Hafkris might be a bigger issue...” Misaki said, looking to Ako and Rinko for approval. “He could have food, weapons, clothing to help us get by.”

“This… is true.” Rinko nodded in confirmation. “How should we go about killing him?”

“What! No!” Hagumi pleaded. “We can’t kill him! He didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe he’ll help us! Let’s call out to him.” 

“No no no, Hagumi! Bad idea!” Misaki said.

“What do you want to say, Hagumi?” Maya asked, with a mischievous grin. 

“Hagumi… I think we should observe him first.” Rinko said rather softly, but Hagumi heard her. 

“Maybe so. What are we looking for?” Hagumi asked.

“We should see… if he’s injured...and if he’s carrying his weapon...” Rinko said. 

“You notice that he is indeed carrying his sword, flailing it around wildly, and singing some sort of sea shanty. He is wobbling back and forth, and tripping. There’s also another object in his left hand, but you can’t make out what it is.”

“Oh no, see, he is hurt!” Hagumi frowned. “We have to help him!” 

“Um, no, I think he wants to enslave us.” Misaki said. “We can’t just leave him be. He’s dangerous.”

“Is it possible to knock him out? Or sneak away without confrontation?” Ako suggested. 

“We won’t get the much needed supplies from him if we sneak away.” Sayo said. “He has things we need to survive.”

“So what do you all, collectively, decide to do?” Maya asked the group. “I will tell you now, based on what you know about him, he will not help you, and will likely kill you.”

“Well that’s no good...” Hagumi frowned. 

“If he’s stumbling and singing, perhaps the thing in his left hand is a bottle containing an alcoholic beverage.” Sayo cleared her throat. “So we should make our attack now.”

“I agree with Hikawa san.” Misaki nodded.

“I think… we should all attack at the same time.” Rinko suggested.

“We have chains and clubs, and we outnumber him.” Ako said. “We’ll attack immediatley!”

“I really don’t want to...” Hagumi said. “Can I just watch? And if it gets bad, then can I help?”

“Sure!” Maya said. “And it’s perfectly fine for your character to behave in such a way. People can play their characters like that. Just keep being yourself, or who you want your character to be! Now as for attacking. Please tell me exactly how you’d like to go about it.”

“We want to sneak down onto the beach,” Ako began, “and all charge him suddenly with our clubs!”

“Alright!” Maya smiled. “So, taking care, you sneak down to the beach, and two things happen. First, you notice another figure lying on the beach, covered in a blanket. One of you recognizes them as another of the slaves. At about that same moment, despite your best efforts to sneak, Hafkris notices you.” 

“I wish to hit him immediately.” Sayo said.

“Alrighty, now we’ll have the first combat!” Maya grinned. “Here’s how it works! First, you roll a ten-sided die for initiative. This determines who goes first, your group, or the enemy. Ako, will you roll for initiative, please?”

Ako: 1  
Hafkris: 9

“For initiative, the lower number wins!” So now, each of you will take your 20 sided die, yes the big one, and roll. This roll will determine if you hit Hafkris or not.”

Ako- 16  
Rinko- 10  
Sayo- 6  
Misaki- 2

“Ako, you just missed him! It bounced off his armor.” Maya said, snapping her fingers. “The rest of you definitely missed. Misaki dropped her club from swinging it so hard. But that’s okay!”

“He’s armored?” Sayo scoffed. “Do we even have a chance? Ako got a 16, how did she miss?” 

“This is the first time your characters have ever been in a fight like this!” Maya explained. “And it’s their first time swinging a club. Next round you might do better, but for now we need to see if Hafkris hits one of you! Huehehe.”

Hafkris- 1 (-3 for drunkeness)

“Ako!” Maya shouted, startling Ako. “He’s coming for you! He swings his broadsword! But it flails wildly out of control, missing you completely. You can tell that he has had lots of alcohol. Oh, and there is a bottle in his hand. It seems as though Sayo may have deduced this correctly.” 

“Great, let’s try to hit him again.” Sayo said, determination flaring in her eyes.

“Rinko! Roll initiative!” Maya said.

“...right...this die...” Rinko muttered, giving it a roll.

Rinko- 1  
Hafkris- 6

“Another win, go ahead and roll to hit!” Maya nodded approvingly.

Ako- 17  
Rinko- 5  
Sayo- 8  
Misaki- 6

“That’s a hit!” Maya said, looking at Ako. “You get to roll a six sided die, which indicates the amount of damage you do.”

“With the power of darkness surrounding me, I swing my mighty club and uh…” Ako paused, deep in thought.

“Smite thee, foul creature?” Rinko suggested.

“SMITE THEE!”

Ako- 2

“Well,” Maya began, “I wouldn’t say you ‘smote him’ but you landed a blow right on his head! He shakes it off and lunges at Sayo with his sword!”

“Preposterous.” Sayo mutters. “What barbarity.”

Hafkris- 2 (-3 for drunkeness)

“And Hafkris utterly misses again.” Maya again nods approvingly. “Sayo, initiative!”

Sayo- 5  
Hafkris- 2

“So you’ve lost! Huehehe” Maya laughed.

Hafkris- 10 (-3 for drunkeness)

“Uh oh.” Maya gasped. “Ako, what is your dexterity again?”

“It’s a 17.” Ako looked sternly at Maya. “Was I hit?”

“Oh of course not!” Maya grinned. “With a dexterity of 17, your armor class is actually a 7, so you’re way in the clear! And taking into account that Hafkris gets an intoxication penalty, he very much missed you. Everyone roll to hit!”

Ako- 6  
Rinko- 11  
Sayo- 16  
Misaki- 10 

“Like Ako, you just missed.” Maya nodded her head sadly. “New round! Misaki, initiative roll.”

Misaki- 9  
Hafkris- 6

“Hafkris wins again! Huehehe.” Maya laughed. “He’s going for Sayo this time...and your hit!”

Hafkris- 14 (-3 for drunkeness), damage with broadsword (2d4): 2+3=5

“What? How? Am I okay??” Sayo asked with ferocity.

“You take 5 damage, meaning that you were nearly knocked unconscious. Mark that down on your sheet. He sliced you right in the stomach. You’re bleeding quite a bit, it is very painful, but not life-threatening as it is. You can still fight.”

“No! Not Sayo!” Hagumi said, tears coming to her eyes. “I’ll fight now too!” 

“Very well! I’ll be gracious and let you fight this round. Sayo, are you staying in? If so, everyone roll to hit!”

Ako- 5  
Rinko- 17  
Sayo- 14  
Misaki- 12  
Hagumi- 20

“Hagumi and Rinko both hit!” Maya exclaimed loudly. “Each of you roll a D6 for damage!” 

Rinko- 3  
Hagumi- 3

“Rinko swings her club and lands a solid blow to Hafkris’ head,” Maya begins, “and Hagumi, in a desperate attempt to help her wounded friend, brings her club down ferociously on top of his head. Hafkris lets out a yowl, and collapses to the ground.”

“That’s horrible!” Hagumi cried.

“I’d like to take his armor, boots, clothing, everything.” Sayo said. “Leave nothing behind. Hagumi, this is survival. We are doing this to stay alive.”

“We should also give a thorough search of the ship.” Misaki suggested. “Ako, let’s do that.” 

“I will... attend to Sayo’s wound and check on the other slave... that we freed.” Rinko nodded, smiling at Sayo. 

“Very well!” Maya said. “First, your search of the other hold of the ship--also badly damaged--led you to find a Heavy Crossbow, 30 crossbow bolts, and a chest. A search of Hafkris reveals a dagger, broadsword, and set of studded leather armor. Rinko, you are able to bandage Sayo’s wound, but this will not give her any of her HP back, so she’ll remain at 1. The other person you found on the beach is indeed still alive, and introduces herself as Melisana.”

“Well, let’s open the chest. We can ask questions later.” Sayo said. “We need to figure out our current situation first.”

“Alright, alright.” Maya said. “In the chest are the captain’s log, sea charts, and a book. You can’t read the captain’s log, it’s in a strange language. The book is written in common, but it will take a bit more studying to know exactly what it is, and the rain might ruin the pages. There are also a few sacks in which these items were stored, and the sacks did a nice job keeping out the water.”

“Misaki should take the sword, since she’s strong,” Ako suggested, “And perhaps Hagumi should take the crossbow? She did do the finishing blow after all!”

“No! I don’t want it.” Hagumi said, slightly angered. “I didn’t want to kill Hafkris. Give it to Sayo!”

“I would not be opposed to that...” Sayo said. “But I also should not be fighting if I’m wounded. In an emergency, a character with more strength and HP than I have should get it, so Shirokane san or Udagawa san should take it.”

“I...suppose I’ll take the crossbow then...” Rinko smiled. “Sayo, why don’t you take the books and charts? You can be in charge of those...”

“Very well.” Sayo agreed. “All that’s left is the armor and the dagger, correct? Hagumi should take the dagger, and Ako can get the studded leather armor. Is that okay with everyone?”

“If you’re taking it, add it to your inventory on your character sheets!” Maya said. “Now then, Melisana says this:

I am the daughter of Melkeras, a rich merchant from the island of Ventris. I’m sure if you bring me safely back to my father, he will surely reward you!”

“We will help you, Melisana!” Hagumi shouted. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you!” 

“Now that that’s been dealt with,” Maya began, “You’re getting very cold. Unbearably cold.”

“So the question is whether to stay and try to brave the weather, or to seek shelter elsewhere.” Sayo stated. “Is there any shelter to be had from the wreckage? Can we make a fire?”

“It is currently raining, and just about everything is soaked, so a fire is highly unlikely.” Maya said. “The two holds in the ship have gaping holes in them, and the parts that aren’t filled with water and getting soaked by the rain.”

“You mentioned...cliffs… can we see any shelter, like a cave?” Rinko asked.

“You don’t see any caves from where you are.” Maya stated. “Melisana says that she is incredibly cold, and that we really need shelter.”

“Well then, the next thing to do is explore. Let’s walk along the coast until we find something.” Sayo said, taking charge.

“Excellent!” Maya said. “We’ll take a short break from the game and get some drinks, and I’ll award experience points to everyone! What did you all think?”

“I don’t like the killing part, but saving Sayo was a lot of fun. I felt like a hero!” Hagumi shouted, jumping out of her chair and running over to hug Sayo. “I saved you!”

“Ah, thanks, Kitazawa san...” Sayo said, “because of you, I didn’t die, I guess.”

“That was so cool.” Ako said, still in a bit of shock. “It was so immersive! Maya, where did you learn all those funny voices? For Hafkris and Melisana?” 

“Oh you just make them up, Huehehe.” Maya said, laughing.”I might get influence from friends for some of the voices as well...Huehehe!”

“It was interesting.” Misaki said. “At times, I felt very important and involved, but I also feel like I wasn’t able to accomplish much. I never landed a single blow, despite my great strength.”

“That happens sometimes! You were just unlucky. Your strength bonus is +1 to hit, and +2 to damage, by the way. I was adding that myself, hoping to surprise you!” Maya replied. “What about you, Rinko?”

“I...really liked watching you all play.” Rinko smiled. “You were all...having so much fun...”

“Yes, but did you like it? That is what’s important, after all.” Sayo said, bringing drinks for everyone. I myself found it quite enjoyable, after I realized what was happening. 

“Yes… I liked it...and I like that our characters...can be whatever we want them to be...” Rinko smiled. She had drawn little pictures of herself gardening. “I imagine this is what my character...would do if she wasn’t captured...”

“Huehehe, I’m glad you all enjoyed it! If you’re ready, we’ll get the next part underway!”

EXP: (272 divided as equally as possible)

Ako-55  
Rinko-54  
Sayo-54  
Misaki-54  
Hagumi-55


	3. Battle on the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stranded on a deserted island, will our heroes find shelter? Will Hagumi befriend an Orc? Will they die from exposure?

“So, when we last left off, you were searching for shelter walking along the coast.” Maya began, “After about thirty minutes, there is a clear break in the cliffs where it would be feasible to cross them without much climbing. The beach also continues.”

“If there's anyone inhabiting the island, we should be able to walk around the coast until we find them.” Sayo reasoned.

“But alternatively, there could be something really important up there. Maybe from a higher vantage point, we’ll see more of the island.” Ako argued. “And we don’t know how big the island is!”

“It couldn’t hurt to go take a look.” Misaki suggested. “I say we go, and I’m going to start walking there now.” 

“They do have a point. More information means a more informed decision. And we cannot afford poor decisions in our predicament.” Sayo said. “I’m following her.”

“We follow her too!” Ako said, replying for the rest of the group.

“It takes you another 30 minutes, but you do make it to the top of the cliffs without too much trouble.” Maya said. “It’s still raining, but you can see before you a rather large island, with many hills. Westward are the most foreboding hills, while the terrain seems to flatten out towards the east.There is little growing here, besides some very coarse grass and shrubs.”

“No signs of civilization?” Sayo questioned. “So we shipwrecked on an island with no shelter, it’s raining, and there’s no hope of finding shelter anytime soon. Lovely.”

“Don’t give up, Sayo!” Hagumi cried. “I’m sure there’s shelter somewhere. I also think that because we’re being active, our characters can last longer in the cold. That’s what happens during winter sports!”

“I think Hagumi is right.” Misaki said. “We need to stay positive, or else we definitely will not make it.”

“I think...we should go toward the east… where it’s flatter. The wind blowing in from the sea might be part of why it’s so cold...” Rinko pointed out.

“I say we continue farther inland.” Ako nodded. “Is that okay with you, Sayo san?”

“That is fine with me.” Sayo nodded back in approval.

“So you go eastward...” Maya said, scrunching her nose and looking at some papers. She hid them behind her folded cardboard so that the others couldn’t see. She made a few die rolls, jotted down some notes, and continued. “Yes… so after only about 15 minutes of walking in this direction...Misaki hears some noise...with her elven ears.”

“Oh yeah, I’m an elf.” Misaki said. “What do I hear?”

“You hear the faint clanging of metal. And a grunting noise. It's coming from the east, just over the next hill.” Maya said. “The others start to hear this noise as well.”

“We should go immediately and see what it is.” Sayo said. “It is clearly some sort of being or creature, which means they might have shelter.” 

“Alright, up the hill then.” Misaki said.

“Wait! Maybe we should sneak up the hill? It could be people we don’t want to meet!” Ako said with a shrill whisper, as if the creatures over the other side of the hill might hear.

“Ako, you don’t have to whisper...” Misaki sighed. “That is a good idea though. Up the hill, but quietly!”

“You easily make it to the top of the hill. This is what you see,” Maya began. “There is a fight going on, between what you know to be orcs and goblins. Orcs are the same size as humans, goblins are a bit smaller. There are about 12 goblins and 6 orcs. The goblins have bows and spears, and the orcs have axes and polearms. There is also a man lying a good distance behind the orcs. You cannot tell what his condition is, for the moment. The terrain would make it easy to get down to the fight if you wished. There are also many large rocks and boulders around you, and some tall grass and shrubs. Now, what do you do?”

“Let’s think this through a bit.” Misaki said. “Orcs and Goblins are definitely bad. Yes Hagumi, that means we can’t befriend them. But if we attack them, we can get their things. I’m for attacking them.”

“While I would normally be all for the attack, only four of us are capable of attacking, and Hagumi is not going to want to fight them.” Sayo argued. “We could easily die.”

“I think… that maybe we could sneak down...to the man...” Rinko suggested. 

“We don’t all have to go, either.” Misaki said. “Perhaps Ako and I could sneak down to help the man, and then if we get into trouble, Rinko can fire the crossbolt and the rest come to our aid.”

“That’s what we’ll do!” Ako smiled happily. “I can’t wait to see what happens!”

“Ako and Misaki make their way down the slope, using boulders and shrubs to conceal themselves” Maya said, making a few rolls of her own. “Each of you make percentile rolls, which are 2d10. You’ll notice on the dice that there is a ’ones’ D10 and a ‘tens’ D10; those numbers together will give you a percentage.”

Ako- 76%  
Misaki- 41%

“Ako, you’ve been spotted...” Maya proclaimed. “One of the goblins firing arrows saw you.”

“Well, it’s too late now. Let’s go and help the man!” Ako said, determined. 

Goblin archer- 9 (missed)

“An arrow whizzes by you,” Maya said, “but you reach the man. Misaki made it just ahead of you. You can see that he is a very old man. When he sees you he starts speaking.”

Old man Maya: “Help help! Please take me with you. I can help you too. I know where there is food and shelter. Please help.”

“It’s okay, we’re going to help you.” Ako reassures him. 

“I’ll cut him loose.” Misaki said.

“While you do this, Misaki, make another percentile roll to see if the goblins see you. I’ll make a roll for the old man. Ako, there is another arrow coming your way.”

Misaki- 41%  
Old man- 29%  
Goblin Archer (firing at Ako)- 17 (Hits) Damage on a D6- 5 dmg

“Oh my god, they hit Ako!” Maya yelled. “They don’t notice anyone else, but Ako takes 5 points of damage, and is bleeding. It hits you right in the back, but seems to have missed vital parts. You scream in pain.”

“Can I grab her and carry her behind a boulder?” Misaki hurriedly said to Maya, while Sayo and Rinko began talking about what they should do.

“Perhaps we should draw attention away from them!” Sayo said. “Rinko, why don’t you fire your crossbow at the archers!”

“I...would be delighted too… Sayo san...” Rinko said, determined.

Rinko- 13 (hit) damage=d4+1, 3+1=4dmg

“Rinko! Your bolt flies through the air, pulled by wind, pelted by rain, but strikes the target true! You see the goblin fall to the ground. However, there is still one goblin archer that now knows where you are!” Maya said hurriedly. “And yes, Misaki, you successfully take Ako behind some good cover.”

“Old man, you stay here with Ako, I’m going to go fight!” Misaki said to Maya. “What’s the battle looking like?”

“Many from each side have gone down. There’s only four orcs left, but you see seven or eight goblins. Your character does not know that Rinko has fired a crossbow bolt. I should also mention, Rinko, the heavy crossbow takes time to reload. You can only fire every other round.”

“I’m going to charge at one of the Orcs!” Misaki yelled. “I’ll roll to hit now.”

Misaki- 2

“What the hell. I only got a two.”

“Huehehehe, you missed. The archer now sees you, and fires!”

Goblin Archer- 5

“An arrow flies wide and to your right, well over your head.” Maya nodded. It’s time for an initiative roll! Ako, you roll that.”

Ako- 8  
Enemies in general- 4

“Well, the archer gets to go again. Two more orcs and goblins fall due to them fighting each other. You can clearly see now that there are a total of two orcs and five goblins left, plus the goblin archer that was firing at you. Rinko, you get to fire a bolt next turn!”

Goblin archer- 9  
Misaki- 14 (+1, +more for attacking from behind) (hits) broadsword (2d4) 4+4 (+2 for strength)= 10 damage

“Misaki! You take the broadsword, swing it over your head, and it comes crashing down on an unsuspecting orc, nearly cleaving it in two. You’re also covered in a purplish blood. That’s maximum damage!” Maya rattled on excitedly. “While that happened, the arrow misses you, but only just. Would anyone else like to do anything?”

The whole table turned to look at Hagumi, who looked somewhat worried now. “I suppose if Mii kun is fighting, Hagumi should fight too… I charge down the hill with the dagger!” 

“Understood!” Maya nodded approvingly. “It’ll take you a turn to get there, but you’ll make it! New initiative, Rinko!”

Rinko- 7  
Enemies- 2

“The enemies have won initiative, so in the process, the final orc and another goblin are slain. It doesn’t take all of them to kill the orc, so two of them have advanced on you, Misaki! Make your rolls!” 

Goblin Archer- 1   
Goblin- 16 hits misaki (spear) (d6) =5 damage  
Goblin- 3  
Rinko- 2  
Misaki- 18 hits goblin (that hit misaki) (2d4+2)= 4+3+2=9 damage

“Misaki, as you are fighting two opponents, it confuses you slightly. They’re working in tandem, with spears, trying to make you leave yourself vulnerable for attack. And they succeed. Take 5 damage. HOWEVER, the pain from your spear wound has enraged you, and your sword swings around and cleaves one of your goblins in two!” 

“Oh my god I’m wounded and there’s still five of them!” Misaki said, looking at the others around the table. 

“I’ll save you, Misaki!” Hagumi said reassuringly. “I think if Sayo rolls a really low number, we’ll hit first!”

“That’s right, Hagumi! Huehehe.” Maya laughed. “Go on, roll!” 

Enemies- 1  
Sayo- 5

“Well, I hope you survive another round!” Maya said with a clear tinge of anxiousness. 

Goblin Archer- 2  
Goblin (Misaki)- 4  
Goblin (Misaki)- 12 (hit) (spear, D6)=2 damage  
Goblin (Hagu)- 8  
Goblin (Hagu)- 10 (hit) (spear, D6)=1 damage  
Misaki- Not able to roll  
Hagumi- 5

“Misaki, unfortunately you’ve been hit for two damage. You’ve fainted, you’re bleeding out--but you’re not dead yet. Hagumi, you are also hit for one damage. You do not know what has happened to Misaki, but it doesn’t look good...” Maya told the table, and the mood became very somber. “Misaki, it’s your turn to roll initiative, and I really hope you win.”

“My character wants to go help them!” Ako shouted, and Maya nodded. “It’ll take a round to get there, however.”

Misaki- 6  
Enemies- 1 

Maya let out a deep sigh. “Alright, let’s see where this goes! Hagumi has 5 potential hits coming her way.”

Goblin archer- 8  
Goblin- 7  
Goblin- 6  
Goblin- 9  
Goblin- 13 (hit) (spear-D6)= 3 damage  
Hagumi- 11 (hit) (dagger D4)=4 damage  
Rinko- 17 (hit) (D4+1)=3+1=4 damage

“The Goblin archer,” Maya said, pausing for dramatic effect, “misses Hagumi, and is killed by Rinko’s bolt!” A great cheer went up around the table. “Three of the Goblins miss, but the fourth hit. The total damage done was...3! Hagumi, you’re still standing!” Another cheer. “And to finish the round, you also kill your goblin! With that, there are now 3 goblins, and Ako has joined the fight. Any hit means that you two might not make it. Please win this initiative.”

Hagumi- 3  
Enemies- 6

A very loud cheer boomed through the Yamato residence. All players were thrilled that their characters might scrape out a narrow victory. Then silence, as Maya proclaimed: “Roll to hit.”

Ako- 10  
Hagumi-10   
Goblin- 10  
Goblin- 10  
Goblin- 4

“Well, you all missed, but so did they. You need an 11 to hit! So that’s a new round.” Maya says, shrugging. “Misaki, you’re losing more blood, but you don’t really know that, Huehehe. Roll initiative, Ako!”

“No! Miikun! We’ll save you!” Hagumi cried. Tears actually welled up in her eyes. “I don’t wanna lose Mii kun...”

Ako- 2  
Enemies- 6

This time there wasn’t a cheer. Everyone hung off the edge of their seat. “Roll to hit.” Maya said, somberly. 

Ako- 6  
Hagumi- 19 (3 damage)  
Rinko- 15 (4 damage)  
Goblin- dead  
Goblin- dead  
Goblin-1

“Wow. Just wow...” Maya said. “Ako missed, but Hagumi and Rinko both hit their marks… and killed! And the last Goblin missed his attack on Ako!!! There is still one left, so let’s roll initiative.” 

Rinko- 4  
Goblin- 4

“So when this happens, attacks happen simultaneously.” Maya explained. “But in this case, the goblin decides to run away. You all get one free attack, otherwise the goblin escapes!”

Ako- 3  
Hagumi- 19 hits for 3 damage  
Rinko- 10

“All of the enemies are now dead.” Maya breathed a sigh of relief.

“Attend to Misaki!” Ako and Hagumi said. “We need to stop the bleeding however we can!”

“Sayo will rush down the hill to help!” Sayo shouted.

“I’ll also go...” Rinko said.

“After attending to misaki for about half an hour...” Maya took a long dramatic pause, and rolled a few dice. She looked each one of them in the eye, one by one. Ako. Rinko. Sayo. Misaki. Hagumi. 

“She lived!” Maya let out a smile and a sigh. “She lived...however, Misaki is not going to be able to walk for days. She’s too injured, and needs a warm place to rest. You’re going to need to figure out what to do about transporting her.”   
“Well, if she’s out of trouble,” Sayo began “Then we’ll start stripping the bodies of all their possessions.” 

“I’ll...talk to the old man...” Rinko said.

“Alrighty!” Maya said cheerfully. “Here’s what you find!”

-18 cloaks/boots/daggers  
-3 bardiches  
-3 axes  
-6 spears  
-4 bows/arrows (20 arrows per bow)  
-padded armor

“My name is Keestake!” Maya old man Keestake said, addressing Rinko. “I haven’t seen a human in years and years...and wouldn’t you know it, I used to be the personal groom to Himself--Viledel, the Sea King! This is the isle of Viledel! But poor Viledel died long ago. The pirates got him. I hid under a boat! Never noticed me while all the killin’ and pillagin’ and so forth was happenin’. The pirates finally left, but they missed the real treasures, huehehe, I, Keestake, have been making sure they’re safe and sound!”

“Ooh, treasure!” Ako said, a gleam in her eye. “I wonder what kind of treasure?”

“Oh yes, there’s lots of treasure...” Maya old man Keestake eyed Ako cautiously. “Viledel had a son, who died before the pirates came. He was buried in a crypt with lots of grave goodies for when the dead return to life and need some things. Weapons, armor, gold, and even a little boat. Getting there will be hard though! We gotta go through the manor. And the Manor is currently overrun by these orcs and goblins that arrived here a few days ago. They’re at war over the island, and it’s partly me own fault because I mentioned the treasure to them, Huehehe. As for us, there is another place where we can find shelter!”

“Where is it?” Sayo asked. “We’re tired, cold, probably hungry, and it’s probably getting late. We need to find a place for Misaki to rest. Can you take us there?”

“Sure I can!” Maya Keestake said. “But what will you do with your companion here? Seein’ as she’s so big and muscular, she must weigh a ton!”

“That’s kinda rude, Maya san...” Misaki said, frowning. 

“Huehehe, well you see,” Maya began, “18 strength means you have a lot of muscle, even for an elf. You definitely look fit, but there isn’t going to be a character that can carry you as easily as you carried Ako. You’ll need a different solution besides being carried.”

“We have...lots of cloaks… and spears...” Rinko said. “We could fashion a stretcher, and two of us could carry her...”

“What a great idea, Rinrin!” Ako said enthusiastically. “Can we try that?”

“Sure!” Maya said, making a few quick rolls. “Yes, you construct a stretcher, and it seems like it would be capable of carrying Misaki. Now, a few things to mention before we move on! While I’ll definitely give you experience for all of these items, there’s no way you’ll be able to carry all of it, and no real reason you would want to try. So what is each person taking with them?

“We should all take a cloak, pair of boots, and a dagger.” Sayo reasoned. “Let’s give the padded armor to Rinko, and let’s take two of the bows. Being able to shoot things from a distance is very handy.”

“Are elves good with bows?” Misaki said with her hand in her chin. “That seems like something Kaoru would use. In fact, when I picture my character, it’s just Kaoru.” 

“Elves are excellent with bows and longswords,” Maya nodded. “ I’ll have to check, but you don’t get the bonuses until you reach 1st level, I believe.”

“I definitely want one of the bows, then.” Misaki smiled. “And maybe an axe would come in handy, for chopping something down as well as a weapon. Can we carry all of that?”

“That seems reasonable,” Maya said, nodding. “With that taken care of, let’s get on to the next part of the adventure!”

Experience!

Ako-55+19= 74  
Rinko-54+42+18= 114  
Sayo-54+19= 73  
Misaki-54+28+18= 100  
Hagumi-55+42+18= 115

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this chapter was as enjoyable for others as it was for me. I was hanging off the edge of my seat while rolling to see what happened! I feel like there was definitely less roll play and more fighting this chapter, next chapter should have more role play. Apologies if that's what you were looking forward to!
> 
> Also, I had to look through all the rulebooks to see if 0 level characters died at 0 hitpoints or not. I think Player Characters, regardless of level, still only die at -10, so I decided to let Misaki live. But if Ako or Hagumi had gone down as well, I wouldn't have allowed both to live (not enough people to tend to them).
> 
> Melisana also didn't play a big role, mostly because she doesn't fight unless she has to, and I forgot about her, oops!


	4. Temple of the goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keestake takes our heroes to shelter, but what will they find? Hagumi is super cute in this one!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Title: Misaki pisses off the Goddess

“Before we begin, I have lots of questions.” Sayo said to Maya, arms crossed. “Are there actual rules, or are you arbitrarily coming up with these numbers? I’m not saying that I’m not enjoying this, I’m simply questioning your methods.”

“Huehehe, that sounds just like you, Sayo san.” Maya laughed. “Ako, did you bring the books?” 

“Yeah! Here they are!” Ako smiled, and held two of the books up for Sayo to see. 

“That is the Player’s Handbook, which details everything about characters, character creation, general information, weapons, and spells.” Maya said, instructing Sayo. “It contains everything that a Player would want to know. The other, larger book is the Dungeon Master’s Guide. It contains all of the rules that I need to follow. It’s only for me, though, as it wouldn’t be as fun if you knew everything that I could prepare for you to face! Huehehe.”

“Let me see that.” Sayo said, taking the player’s handbook. “None of this is in Japanese, except some notes scribbled in pen.” Sayo glared at Maya. “You are making all of this up.”

“But Sayo! It’s on my phone in Japanese.” Maya grinned, holding up her phone. “Now that I’m much more familiar with the game, the books can be useful because they contain all of the charts. For instance, if a Level 3 fighter wearing chainmail and using a bow decided to attack a Level 6 mage...”

While Sayo was getting dizzy from looking at all of the charts and listening to Maya’s explanation, the rest of the group talked about the adventure so far. 

“Misaki raised her sword of blackened magic and slew the terrifying Orc!” Ako proclaimed, reenacting the battle. 

“No! Mii kun!” Hagumi cried. “I’ll save you!” 

“I’ll shoot them...with my crossbow...” Rinko said. “Ba-dan!”

“No Rinrin!” Ako wagged her finger. “It was more like CLANG KReshssshshs...” Ako grabbed her chest, fell over, and pretended to foam at the mouth. 

“Oh no!” Hagumi cried again. “Rinrin shot Ako!”

“Okay, but seriously.” Misaki said, attempting to corral their attention. “What will you all ask Keestake?”

“We should ask him where we’re going!” Hagumi said excitedly.

“Yes, where we’re going, and what else is on the island.” Sayo said, finishing her conversation with Maya. “If he knows the island so well, can he make a map for us?” 

“Also how many orcs and goblins are there?” Ako added.

“What...does he eat and drink?” Rinko questioned.

“As for the map, certainly,” Maya said. “But only after you’re out of this rain and in shelter. Keestake’s not sure of exact numbers, but he figures about a hundred orcs and even more goblins. Oh, and keestake says he’s been eating lots of tasty rats!” 

“Disgusting.” Sayo scoffed. “My character will not eat a rat.”

“Yeah, rats are really cute!” Hagumi pouted. “How could the nice old man do that!”

“My character will eat a rat if she’s really hungry and if it’s cooked really well!” Ako said, taking a bite out of the imaginary rat on the end of her pencil. 

“Maya san...” Rinko began, “Is it possible...for me to look for edible plants along the way? I am a ...gardener, I might...find something?”

“Ooh, great idea!” Maya said, congratulating her. “While not too likely, there is still a chance.” Maya made a few quick rolls, and then nodded. “Yes, on your way to the temple, you find a few handfuls of edible roots...not enough for a meal, but it will stave off hunger for a while.” 

“Thanks Rinrin!” Ako smiled.

“We still haven’t been told where we’re going. What kind of shelter is it?” Sayo pried.

“Ah yes!” Maya old man Keestake said. “It is a temple to the Water Goddess, Aqua! Oh what a great Goddess she is. So loving. So kind. So pretty! I know she hasn’t forgotten about me over all these years, providing me with so many tasty rats to eat!”

“That better not be the same goddess I’m thinking of...” Misaki said, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, but what is the structure like?” Sayo questioned, getting a little impatient. 

“Ooh, it’s big! Real big!” Maya old man Keestake stretched her arms wide. “Lots of rooms, the biggest room for the Goddess herself, of course.” 

Maya spoke in her normal voice. “After multiple hours of travelling over pretty rough terrain, you see it’s silhouette in the fading light. It seems rather impressive, just like Keestake was saying. However, as you finally approach the doors, you see a gloomy building in disrepair. Everything is decayed, rusted, and broken. The building shakes in the wind and causes the shutters to fling open and smack against the walls; the shutters that remain, anyway.” 

“This is not what we were promised.” Sayo glared at Maya. “I’m angry at Keestake, of course, not with you.”

“Uh oh! Sayo angy!” Ako said, causing Hagumi to giggle and Misaki to hold her head in her hands. Rinko hid her face to conceal her laughter, and Sayo glared.

“What have I told you about using the proper pronunciation of words.” Sayo glared. “It’s pronounced ‘Angry’, and you need to include the verb ‘to be’ conjugated correctly, in this case, ‘is’. Sayo is Angry.”

“Anyway,” Misaki said, interrupting the grammar lesson, “can we get inside? Does it look safe enough?”

“Keestake is already pulling on the door, and it makes quite a loud squeaking noise despite the whirling wind.” Maya said. “You can tell that Keestake’s description of a beautiful and impressive temple used to be true, but it’s been a long time since anyone has tended to it. Everything is overgrown. After opening the door, Keestake ushers you inside!”

“Yes, let’s go inside and see if we can’t make a fire.” Sayo said. “If it’s really as cold as you have indicated, then it is imperative that we get warm.”

“It’s also necessary for you to see! Huehehe.” Maya laughed, and then motioned for everyone to pay attention. “There are no windows in this first room, but Keestake is able to guide you through the darkness. The next room you enter also has no windows, but you can tell that this is a very large room from your echoing voices. Keestake tells you that this is the Hall of the Goddess, where worshippers used to worship. You feel many pieces of broken furniture all around you.”

“Right, I guess our characters clear away the furniture to make room for a fire.” Sayo said, but then looked inquisitively at Maya. “Do our characters even know how to do that?” 

“Well, you’re used to using tools to make fires, but you would have a good idea of how to make one without tools. You just wouldn’t be very good at it, huehehe.” Maya laughed. “ After a few feeble attempts, Keestake also offers to help and starts one up right away!” 

“Let’s make torches and explore!!!” Hagumi shouted. Maya explained that more cloaks would have to be ripped into pieces and used to keep the torches lit for a longer period of time, but this can be fashioned.   
“As you’re doing that, Keestake rummages through the wreckage and finds a few pieces of parchment, a charred stick, and starts drawing a map!” Maya said, pulling out three sheets of paper. “If you wait a while, he’ll finish them and give them to you.” 

“Hagumi wants to look around now!” Hagumi said excitedly. 

“First, I’ll describe the room you’re in now!” Maya began, equally as excited as Hagumi. “It’s a very large, two story room. Furniture lies in pieces all over the floor. The walls used to have beautiful frescoes depicting the goddess, but deep gouges in the walls make this very hard to tell. Keestake tells you the Orcs broke the furniture and damaged the walls recently. The east and west walls have a set of double doors, and you know you entered through the west double doors. There is also a small door on the southern wall. To the north, there is a large but tattered curtain, held up by a row of decayed pillars, that separate the room.”

“I wanna go look behind the curtain!” Hagumi shouted, looking at her companions around the table. Let’s go, Ako!” Ako excitedly agreed, while the Sayo and Misaki looked at each other worriedly.

“Maybe you should wai--” Sayo began, but it was too late. Maya started her description of the room.

“You notice that there are a few long steps leading up to the curtain, which you push aside. On the other side of the curtain is a marble statue of the goddess. Her expression is smiling with an abundance of confidence, but something tells you that she’s a bit on the incompetent side.”

“Maya, you can’t be serious!” Misaki stared at Maya. “You know that we made a cover of that opening. I’ve seen the anime, I suggested the song to Ko--”

“The statue,” Maya continued loudly, cutting Misaki off, “is also in disrepair. The arms and nose have broken off, it is heavily cracked, and is filthy. There is also a short table that used to be used for sacrifices.” Maya showed them all a picture of the Goddess.

“That’s really sad.” Hagumi said, frowning. “Can I clean it up? Those meanie orcs, I’ll have to bop them on the head a few times for this.” 

“I’ll help too!” Ako said. “I’ll put the broken pieces on the altar.”

“Listen, Maya...” Misaki began, but her phone buzzed. 

Maya’s text to Misaki: LET ME HAVE MY FUN

Misaki sighed and nodded her head. “My character goes to sleep immediately.”

“I think we should all get some rest, unless Keestake thinks there would be anything of use in another part of the building.” Sayo said, tapping the table. “If it has been sitting here for this long, there is not going to be much to find. No food, no water. I guess we can drink rainwater?”

“Look at the map!” Maya said, a slight smile forming on her lips. “There is apparently a garden, with a well!” 

“I...noticed that.” Rinko said shyly. “I would like to look at the garden, just for a bit.”

“Everytime she smiles I feel like something bad is going to happen…” Misaki pointed out. 

“You see a massively overgrown garden, and the path to the well is all but gone, but still accessible. Do you wish to go down the path?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t, Rinko!” Ako and Sayo said simultaneously, both with concern in their voice.

“Maybe...there are more roots...” Rinko said, and looked at Maya. 

“You walk along the overgrown path, searching for roots. Eventually you come to a well. The water seems clean, and Keestake has told you it’s clean.” 

“I...see...” Rinko said. “I’ll search a bit more...and then return.”

“You find handfuls of wild onions and carrots! Enough for about half a meal each.” Rinko exclaimed after making a quick roll. “You return to the others. Melisana, the woman you rescued from the beach, mentions that you are all very brave and daring--maybe even reckless--venturing out alone.”

“I think we should save the roots and carrots for tomorrow, if possible.” Sayo reasoned. “And we should get to sleep now.”

“So you’re all going to sleep?” Maya asked.

“Why wouldn’t we? Are you going to make something attack us at night?” Sayo said, frowning and crossing her arms.

“It’s definitely a possibility that orcs or goblins could discover us, since there are hundreds on the island.” Maya Melisana said. “I think it would be foolish to not take turns staying awake, watching and listening for danger. There is about seven and a half hours until daylight.”   
“Why does your voice sound like Shirasagi san...” Misaki said, stifling laughter.

“Very well.” Sayo said, a bit put out. “If we do one and a half hour shifts, there’s five positions. Let’s do Sayo, Hagumi, Ako, Rinko, and Melisana. I would like to try reading the book we found on the ship during my watch.”

“That works for me!” Ako shouted. Rinko and Hagumi nodded in agreement. 

“Right!” Maya said. “So you go to sleep...” Maya made a few rolls, jotted a few things down, and then looked around the table. She stopped and stared at Hagumi. “During your watch!” Maya pointed a finger at Hagumi, which startled her. “You see a faint glow coming from behind the curtain. You hear a soft and gentle voice call to you. Hagumi….Hagumi…!” 

“What?” Hagumi said, looking confused. “Uhm, Hello?”

“Hagumi...”

“I said hello!” Hagumi smiled. “I’m Hagumi! I guess I go look behind the glowing curtain.”

“I would like to go as well.” Sayo said, but Maya shook her head firmly.

“You are not awake.” Maya said. “The only one awake right now is Hagumi.”

“Well, wake us up!” Sayo said to Hagumi.

“Let her figure it out on her own!” Maya chided. “Do whatever you feel is right, Hagumi. If it isn’t right, it’s a learning experience.”

“Okay!” Hagumi smiles. “I wake Ako up! And only Ako!” She grinned at Sayo. “That’s what you get for wanting to go first!”

“You try to shake Ako awake, but she doesn’t seem to be waking up.” Maya said.

“What??” Hagumi gasped, worry enveloping her face. “Try harder!” But Maya shook her head.

“Hagumiiiiii….” Maya said with a ghostly voice. “You notice the glow is brighter! You also notice that Ako is still breathing softly, so she seems okay. Just deep in sleep.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll look behind the curtain!” Hagumi said, pouting a little. 

“You see the same statue from before,” Maya began, “but it has a blue aura surrounding it. Magically, the statues dismembered hands and nose float and reattach, and the cracks disappear! And then the statue suddenly appears as if it’s alive!”

“Mortal,” Maya Goddess Aqua said, “Why are you and your companions at my temple?”

“Oh...um...” Hagumi began. “Well you see, Ako found these books at a garage sale and wanted us to play this game! And so we--”

“No, no, no, Hagumi, the in game story!” Maya said, stifling her laughter.

“Oh...um… so there was something about a ship, and this poor man named Halfwit just wanted a hug! But we killed him, and then walked around a bit. And then we found these terrible orcs and goblins! They almost killed us! And it’s very cold outside, and this old man named Steak led us here! For shelter! I hope that’s okay. You’re a very pretty goddess! I also want to bop those orcs and goblins on the head for what they did to your house. That made me sad...”

Sayo and Misaki simultaneously grabbed their hair. Maya stopped them every time they tried to interject with the correct information. Sayo was practically having a fit.

“I want to wake up, and I want to wake up now.” Sayo harshly whispered. “That was the worst description of what took place that someone could possibly give.”

“Well, as Hagumi was saying all of that, you all do start to wake up.” Maya nodded. “You are surprised to see Hagumi talking to a moving statue. By the time you are fully awake, the Goddess begins speaking to Hagumi!”

“I see. You’re right, the Orcs of the Hak-kubra tribe have done this to my house, of all places! How ungrateful. How stupid! It makes me very angry that they would come here and do this to me, the best and most beautiful goddess of them all! So I’m going to destroy this island, and everyone on it.”

All the players at the table gasped. “Leave it to Aqua to take things too far...” Misaki muttered under her breath. Maya stared at Misaki for a moment, smiled, and scribbled a few notes.

“You all didn’t do anything wrong--and Hagumi, your kindness has touched me!--so I will give you until tomorrow at nightfall to get off the island! And Hagumi, please bop some of those orcs on the head for me! Do you or your companions have any questions for me?” 

“Yes,” Sayo began, “How do we get off the island? Can you put off destroying the island until we’re safely off?”

“It’s Aqua,” Misaki rolled her eyes. “She’ll be stubborn and unhelpful.” Again Maya stared at Misaki, and again scribbled down some notes. “I really don’t like when Maya does that...”

“I think...you should be nicer to the goddess...” Rinko said. “Goddess Aqua...thank you for your kindness...we are most grateful...”  
“Yeah, I agree with Rinrin! She’s a goddess! We must treat her like one!” Ako said. “Ako will bow, and tell the goddess how pretty she is and how lucky we were to meet her!”

“I’m going back to sleep.” Misaki said. “Thank you, Goddess, goodnight.”

Maya goddess Aqua then said “You must find the way off the island yourselves! It’s sort of like a challenge! It’ll be fun!” 

“Sayo decides to go to bed as well.” Sayo said, throwing her arms in the air. 

“Goodnight Goddess!” Ako and Hagumi cheered. Rinko smiled sweetly.

“The statue becomes solid again, but is completely fixed and unflawed.” Maya explained. “Now, presumably you go back to bed?”

“Keeping the same watch order, yes. Ako is probably on duty now.” Sayo looked to Maya for confirmation.

“Yepp!” Maya nodded. “Except for Ako, the rest of you sleep.” Maya made a few rolls behind her cardboard screen. “Suddenly,” she shouted, and pointed towards Rinko, “During your watch, you hear a noise directly behind you.” 

“I...stand up...and turn around...” Rinko said nervously.

“A creature stands before you! It looks like a man hunched-over, and smells of decay. You’ve never seen anything like it before. I will be kind and say that you were prepared enough during your watch to have your crossbow already loaded, just in case anything were to happen...it is the only weapon you’ve been using, although you also have a dagger.”

“I will use...the crossbow then...” Rinko nodded. “And yell to the party... that there is danger.”

Initiative:  
Ako- 2  
Creature- 10

Attacks:  
Rinko- 11(hit)(D4+1)= 5 Damage  
Creature  
16 (hit) (½ D6)6/3= 3 Damage  
15 (hit) (½ D6)5/3= 3 Damage  
2 

“Rinko!” Maya smiled. “You hit! You weren’t certain if you would, as the creature terrified you. You thought you pulled the trigger too early, but the bolt struck it’s mark! Unfortunately...it is still standing. And it strikes you twice with its claws. For 6 damage.” Maya said, pausing multiple times for dramatic effect. “I need you to roll two D20 please.”

“Okay...” Rinko said. “I got a 7...and a 12...”

“I see...” Maya said. “You fall to the ground very stiff. You are unconscious. The creature comes for the next closest person, which is Sayo! Everyone is hurriedly waking up, but this can only happen so fast. Sayo is not ready yet, so it gets to attack you!”

Creature  
6  
7  
17 (hit)(D6)= 3 Damage

“Sayo! The creature bites you for 3 damage! Roll a D20 please!” Maya said excitedly.

“I rolled a 15!” Sayo shouted, looking hopefully to Maya.

“Your character, now at -2 Hit Points, is bleeding out from the vicious bite wound inflicted by the creature. You also fall to the ground, very stiff. The creature makes its way toward Hagumi! Hagumi, both you and Ako are now ready to fight it!”

“We must save Sayo!” Hagumi frowns. 

Initiative:  
Creature- 2  
Rinko- 5 (Ako is at 2 because of her dexterity)

“Ako!” Maya smiled. “You actually get to attack at the same time as the creature. If you can hit it, and if it doesn’t do much damage to Hagumi, this could turn out well.”

Attacks:  
Creature  
16 (hit) (½ D6)3/2=2 damage

Hagumi-   
Ako- 14 (hit)(D4)= 4 Damage

Maya paused for a minute, deep in thought. “Ako, as the creature strikes Hagumi for two points of damage, you also strike the creature for four points. As with Rinko, it really did not seem like you were going to hit, but miraculously your attack connects. It crumples over, ceasing to move.”  
“I’ll immediately wake Melisana and have her help me attend to Sayo!” Ako shouted. 

“You are able to bandage her wounds sufficiently, but like Misaki, she doesn’t seem like she’ll be able to move on her own for at least a week. She needs rest.” Maya said solemnly. “Misaki still has this issue as well. Hagumi and Rinko feel as though they’ll need at least a full day of rest.”

“But we only have a limited time left!” Ako said, and looked worriedly toward Maya. 

“That’s just how it is for the moment!” Maya shrugged. “The best thing you can do is get some rest and plan in the morning. After moving the smelly creature a good way away, huehehe!”

Experience!

Ako- 74+20+31+40 = 165  
Rinko- 114+20+31+20+20 = 205  
Sayo- 73+20+20 = 113  
Misaki- 100+20 = 120  
Hagumi-115+20+120 = 255

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this turned out pretty bad in the end. But fear not! Ako will continue alone, with her 1HP!  
> Also, HP update!  
> Ako= 1  
> Rinko= 0  
> Sayo= -3  
> Misaki= -2 (I think)  
> Hagumi=0
> 
> Or Maybe Maya has a Tendou up here sleeve!


	5. Manor of the Sea King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ako and friends explore the Manor of the Sea King! What treasures will they find? Will Hagumi Bop some Orcs?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long, I was working on another Bandori related project that took precedence! This is also a rather long and fight-heavy chapter, so apologies if you were looking forward to more of the roleplay elements. 
> 
> As for the next chapter... well, it'll be at least 10 days, as I plan to T10 Full Blooming oops

“Whatcha gonna do with a drunken sailor?  
Whatcha gonna do with a drunken sailor?  
Whatcha gonna do with a drunken sailor ER LIE IN THE MORN-ING!” Ako and Hagumi sang while Maya prepared the next part of the adventure. 

“Why are you singing that?” Misaki sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. “On second thought, I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Sayo san was just telling me about how we were captured by pirates!” Hagumi grinned. 

“So we’re singing some pirate songs to liven the mood!” Ako smiled devilishly, holding her hand to her face. “The powerful pirates of darkness and destruction will ehhh...ahhhh...”

“Shave his belly...with a rusty razor… is the next verse…” Rinko smiled.

“Shirokane san,” Sayo groaned. “Why? Why would you tell them? Do you enjoy watching me suffer?” 

“Shave his belly with a rusty razor!” Ako and Hagumi sang, belting out the next verse of the song. Rinko continued to smile. 

“Alright, alright! I’m prepared now! Huehehe!” Maya laughed, drawing the attention of everyone back to the game at hand. “You awake the next morning, surprisingly refreshed! To your utmost surprise, your wounds are gone and you are neither cold nor hungry!” 

“Great. We died.” Misaki said. 

“WHAT!” Ako frowned. “But I wasn’t dead yet!”

“No, no, no, you didn’t die!” Maya said, stifling laughter. “You’re very much alive. The weather has subsided, the wind isn’t as fierce, and your wounds seem to have miraculously healed!” Maya said. 

“Oh! I bet it was that nice goddess!” Hagumi said cheerfully. “I really liked her!”

“Kitazawa san may be right.” Sayo agreed. “It seems as though we have found favor with her, thanks especially to Hagumi.”

“This is great news!” Ako cheered. “We can go get that treasure now!”

“Perhaps that isn’t so wise...” Sayo cautioned. “We only have until sundown to get off the island. We shouldn’t waste time looking for treasure.”

“No, I’m with Ako on this one.” Misaki nodded toward Ako. “I want some treasure. It might help us get off the island too.”

“I promised the nice goddess I would bop some orcs!” Hagumi grinned. 

“Let’s think about this logically at least.” Sayo said sternly. “To get off on an island, we need a boat. Let’s ask Keestake where the safest place to find a boat would be.”

“Keestake mentioned that the prince...was buried with a boat...” Rinko offered. 

“Aye, that I did!” Maya old man Keestake said gleefully. “At least someone listens to ol’ Keestake. You see, here is the map of the manor that I made.” Maya pointed to one of the maps on the table. “If we can get to this room ‘ere, there’s an entrance to the catacombs where Himself and the prince can be found! The orcs and goblins don’t know how to get there.”

“All of that is fine and well, but doesn’t solve the problem of getting the boat out of the catacombs and into the sea. In fact, it complicates it.” Sayo said, shaking her head in disapproval.

“Tell us more about these rooms, Keestake,” Misaki said, ignoring Sayo and pointing to the map. “Oh look, on his map, it says there’s a door to the ocean from the catacombs! I think Maya has been trying to tell us to look at the map...ahaha.”

“So we are going to the manor!” Hagumi squealed. “I want to bop and orc!”

“Please stop saying bop...” Sayo sighed, more than a little disappointed that she had missed such an obvious clue.

“Alright, so how much time do we have until nightfall?” Ako asked. “Sayo san probably wants to make a detailed plan of attack!” Ako looked cheerfully at Sayo, causing Sayo to smile. 

“Yes. Let’s.” Sayo began, a fierce fiery flame appeared to engulf Sayo’s eyes. “So on this map, Keestake indicates this to be the place where we should enter. Maya, I’m sure you’ll tell me what Keestake says in a minute, but don’t interrupt me. These servants quarters probably don’t have much in the way of treasure, but the Queen’s room, Books, Arts, Officers, and Scribe’s rooms may have some things of interest. If we visit them in the order I just described, we should be able to maximize our time and get into the catacombs quickly.”

“Aha… Sayo san” Misaki began, “I think you’re forgetting the Orcs and Goblins that are located all around the Manor...”

“I didn’t forget.” Sayo said, looking slightly confused. “You’re going to kill them all!” Misaki stared back, bewildered.

“Aye now, listen up!” Maya old man Keestake said. “Ya see, right along here is a little ravine. It’ll provide cover to get us to this part o’ the manor here, where I’m thinkin’ we should enter. Ya see, there is a window here with loose bars, someone strong might be able to pry them open enough for us to get inside!”

“So we should sneak in and try not to be spotted. After getting impaled by a spear, I think I want to play it safe…” Misaki winced at the thought. 

“I must bop at least one orc!” Hagumi grinned. 

“This is gonna end in disaster...” Misaki said, hanging her head in defeat.

“Alright, it seems like you’re ready to head out!” Maya said cheerfully. “I would like to know what weapons you are taking, and how you’re carrying them!”

“I’m just taking my dagger, as stealth is most important.” Sayo nodded, agreeing with herself.

“I’m taking my broadsword and bow, and I suppose I’m just carrying them?” Misaki said, looking inquisitively at Maya.

“Ako will take two daggers!” 

“I’ll take...my crossbow...and a dagger...” Rinko replied.

“Hagumi wants something to Bop with … Maybe a spear? And a trusty dagger!”

“Alright! That sounds simple enough...” Maya said, cautiously.

“We should...make a bag...to hold treasures…” Rinko said. 

“Yeah, yeah!” Ako grinned. “We wanna be prepared to stow the treasures and run!”

“Very good, Rinko!” Maya nodded approvingly. “Always good to think ahead about things like that! So, you set out, with Keestake leading. He leads you out through the garden and past the well, and after a few minutes you see the manor! It is just like Keestake described. You also can see figures moving around the manor, quite a few figures at times. It takes about two hours to carefully sneak your way to the ravine that Keestake was talking about.”

“So what time is it, exactly?” Sayo questioned.

“Well, watches were not invented quite yet, but you feel as though it’s mid-morning.” Maya said, continuing. “As I mentioned, the weather is currently quite calm, but there are dark and foreboding clouds on the horizon. So, you’re at the ravine. You have a bit of cover thanks to some rather large shrubs, and can see the manor quite clearly now. The ravine does lead almost directly to one side of the manor, with about fifteen yards where there won’t be any cover whatsoever.”

“When you say ‘ravine’, is it like a large hole in the ground? Will we have to climb and potentially fall?” Misaki said. “I bet you can fall and die in this game.”

“Huehehe, of course that’s possible!” Maya laughed. “But not here. ‘Ravine’ is probably an overstatement. It’s really a depression in the ground, with the deepest drop being about 10 feet. You would sneak along the bottom of it, hugging the sides. It’s basically a big ditch!”

“I see. So who is going first?” Misaki looked around the table.

“Before that, where are the nearest enemies?” Sayo looked at Maya, awaiting her response.

“Aha! Very good, Sayo san.” Maya smiled. “Currently, there are about five orcs by the left side of the building, but the ravine takes you much closer to the right side. On the right, you see a few goblins here and there. There are creatures coming and going all over the place in addition to these stationary ones, though!”

“I think we should try to go now!” Ako said. “We could wait for a better opportunity, but that just wastes time!”

“I suppose we are limited on time...” Sayo said, putting her hand in her chin. “But we shouldn’t all go together. We need to try to stagger our movements so that we are less noticeable.”

“Aye,” Maya old man Keestake grinned. “I’ll go first!” Maya rolled some dice multiple times, and then began speaking in her normal voice. “Alright, who is next? I need them to make a percentile roll!”

“I’ll go next!” Ako grinned. “I got a 2!”

“Very good!” Maya said, grinning. “However, you notice that Keestake was not very quiet, and attracted the attention of an Orc! You hadn’t seen him up until this point. What do you want to do about that?”

“Ehhhh...I’ll...does Keestake see him?” Ako asked, and noticed Sayo and Misaki staring at her. “Oh! And I’ll motion to the others to not send anyone else yet!”

“Keestake has not seen the Orc.” Maya nodded.

“Ako wants to try to sneak behind the Orc and stab him! Sneakily!” Ako giggled.

“Alright, roll percentile again, and then roll to hit!” Maya smiled.

Ako-23% (success)  
-20 to hit (d4 x 2 backstab)= 4 damage  
“You sneak up behind the Orc, who has just seen Keestake just stumble and fall flat on his face. As the Orc gets ready to dash over to Keestake, your dagger plunges into his back, the full weight of your body pushing him to the ground. He lets out a gurgled moan...” Maya makes a quick die roll “but not even your companions further back hear it! A very stealthy kill!” Maya grinned. 

“I killed it, Rinrin!” Ako shouted and high-fived Rinko, who smiled. “I wanna wave to them to keep coming forward!”

“I’m going next.” Misaki said. “I rolled an 11%, and then a 77%, and then a uh...100%?”

“Right,” Maya said, smiling devilishly. “Keestake again trips rather loudly, catching the attention of yet another nearby Orc. As he is making his way toward the sound that Keestake made, Misaki steps on a rather large twig that snaps in half under her weight. And much to her surprise, she finds the uncontrollable urge to sneeze right at that time as well!”

“Well fuck.” Misaki said. “I guess I’ll kill him now!”

“Ako will try sneaking again as well!”

“Misaki! Don’t say such a vulgar word in front of the children!” Sayo glared. Hagumi blinked a few times, absorbing new information from her role models.

“aha..haha...Okay I’ll just bop him on the head then, I won’t k*ll him!” Misaki grinned. Sayo clearly did not think that reply was funny.

“Roll initiative, and then roll to hit them, Misaki!” Maya nodded. “Ako, you may do that, but you won’t get there until next round! Hopefully Misaki doesn’t take a big hit!”

Initiative:  
Ako-4  
Orc-4

Misaki- 1  
Orc- 14 (hit, d6)= 4 damage

“Fuck.” Misaki said. “I got a 1. OUCH! Hikawa san, don’t kick me!”

“Misaki, you’re hit for four points of damage! Ako, make a percentile roll, and then roll to hit!”

Ako- 49%  
19 to hit (d4 x 2 backstab)= 4 damage  
“Ako, you sneak very readily behind this Orc and plunge your dagger into his back! He lets out a slightly more audible groan, but it does not seem as though any other Orcs were alerted.”

After many percentile rolls and close encounters, the group makes it to the barred window that Keestake had been talking about. They are currently undetected. 

“Good job, everyone!” Maya began. “You’ve made it this far and only Misaki has taken some damage. Now, to get inside...”

“If the bars are loose, why doesn’t Misaki just use her strength to pull them open?” Hagumi suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll try that.” Misaki nodded, and made a percentile roll per Maya’s instruction. “I got a 77%.”

“Well, the bars were already loosened, but now you have two bent iron bars in your hands.” Maya said. “It does make a bit of noise, but no enemies seemed to have noticed.” 

“Let’s climb inside, then, and quickly!” Sayo suggested, and looked at the map. “After we’re in this room, we need to go left, and all the way down the hallway. If memory serves, that is where we’re most likely to face Orcs, so be on your guard.”

“You all are able to enter rather quickly and quietly. Now, I would like a marching order, please!” Maya said. “You aren’t marching, of course, but I would just like an idea of how you’ll go about exploring the manor!”

“Misaki is injured, so it’s best to have her in the middle.” Sayo began. “Ako seems to be quite adequate at stealthily dispatching foes, and her heightened dexterity makes her hard to hit, so I would put her in the front. I myself will be close behind to help guide the group. Misaki, Melisana, and Keestake will be in the middle, and Rinko and Hagumi will take the rear in case we are attacked from behind.” 

“Wow Sayo san!” Hagumi grinned happily. “You sure know a lot of big words!”

“So, the room you’re now in is a mess. There are broken cots and pieces of chests scattered on the floor. There is a single door, opposite of the window, on the eastern wall.”

“Alright Ako, open the door!” Sayo said, but Ako shook her head.

“I want to listen first! If there are bad guys on the other side, we should be able to hear them!” Ako looked to the others, and then to Maya.

“You don’t seem to hear any movement from the other side of the door.” Maya said, scribbling down some notes.   
“I’ll open the door then, and look around!” Ako grinned. “Dagger at the ready, of course!”

“You open the door, and peak around the corner.” Maya said, pausing for dramatic effect. “You see...a hallway! A bit of a run-down hallway, with creaky floors and paneling that is falling off the walls. There are many doors to the right, but you’ll have to step further out into the hallway to see further down the left bit of the hallway; a bit of wall juts out and blocks your view. The door at the far southern wall is slightly cracked open, and some light is shining from the crack.” 

“Ako will peak around the side then, to see what’s to the north!” 

“Sayo will follow her. Clearly the door that has light coming out of it is another entrance.”

“Rinko wants...to ready a crossbow bolt...”

“Ako and Sayo,” Maya began, “You see the hallway continue, with more doors to either side.”

“Bring Keestake up beside me,” Sayo said. “He should be able to tell us what’s behind all the doors.”

“Aye, that I can,” Maya old man Keestake replied. “These are all servants quarters, but through that far door there, it opens up into another large hallway, much larger ‘n’ nicer than this one ‘ere.”

“We should go open that one then, and skip these rooms.” Sayo said. “We don’t have time to search this whole place. Let’s all move toward that door.” 

Maya made a few rolls. “As you’re moving toward that door, you begin to hear rough voices. They get louder, and you hear footsteps which get louder as well!”

“Open the nearest door and get inside!” Sayo hurriedly whispered, and the rest of the group nodded vigorously.

“Sayo,” Maya began, “You, Ako, and Keestake make it behind the closest door to your right. However, Melisana and Misaki are greeted with two Orcs that come rushing forward.”

“I push misaki aside and attack!” Hagumi shouted. “It’s boppin’ time!”

“Unfortunately, she’ll still be in the fight, as Melisana has backed away. Roll initiative!”

Initiative:  
Ako- 1  
Orcs- 1 

Attack!  
Misaki- 20  
Hagumi- 7  
Orc 1- 6  
Orc 2- 1

“Misaki!” Maya grinned widely. “You take your broadsword, and a hefty blow is coming down straight for the Orc’s head! But! For some reason, the sword swings to the left and smashed the floor!”

“WHAT. I GOT A 20.” Misaki shouted, throwing her hands up in the air. “You’re supposed to say that I did six damage!” 

“Yes, you did! Huehehe! The floor has a mighty gash in it now!” Maya laughed. “You and Hagumi both notice a bluish glow, strangely familiar.” 

“Hahaha! The nice goddess is punishing Misaki for being a meanie!” Hagumi giggled. 

“And having a foul mouth, too...” Sayo muttered. Misaki groaned and put her head on the table.

“Can I sneak around them?” Ako said, looking to Maya.

“New round, as everyone missed!” Maya laughed again. “They’re fighting right in front of the doorway that you and Sayo ducked into, so I’m afraid not. There is also only enough room for two people to fight another two people, so you can’t really gang up on them. You’d really just get in the way at this point.”

Initiative  
Rinko- 9  
Orcs- 5

Attack  
Misaki- 12 (2d4) 4 damage  
Hagumi- 18 (d4) 2 damage  
Orc 1- 10  
Orc 2- 6

“Misaki hits and kills this time!” Maya said. “And Hagumi does just enough damage to kill hers as well, as you quickly realize this Orc had already been injured previously. So there are now two dead Orcs! Also, Ako and Sayo, you find yourself in a much smaller room, similar to the one you entered. Smashed furniture and other debris.”

“As expected, these rooms aren’t likely to have any treasure.” Sayo nodded. “Drag the orcs into this room, and let’s keep moving!”  
“Yeah, and next time, let’s not leave the injured party member to fend for herself!” Misaki said, feeling just a bit put out. 

“Ako will look through the door that those orcs came through!” 

“This hallway stretches to the east for a good distance, and you can see a little ways to the north. You have to move a bit farther north to fully see down that hallway. There are many double doors spread far apart, and Keestake says there are many large rooms. You see no enemies down this hallway.”

“Our goal is north, and since we’re now seemingly in the right area, we’re going to start searching through these rooms.” Sayo said. “The first door we come to, we’ll search.”

“Alright! So Ako opens the nearest door, which is on the western wall. You all slowly file into the room, and notice that there is moldy carpeting, gashes in the wall, and a few floorboards are torn up. As in the temple of the goddess, these seem to be signs of the Orcs searching for things. There is also a door leading into another room on the southern wall. Sayo, when you enter the room, you hear a faint noise...it sounds like a muffled whisper.”

“I quietly tell everyone to not move a muscle.” Sayo said. “Where is the noise coming from?”

“It is coming from the other side of that door to the south!” Maya said.

“They’re likely enemies. Let’s have Ako swing the door open from the side, and Rinko and Misaki fire their weapons. Then Ako, Hagumi, and I will rush inside and finish them off.” Sayo said. Everyone readily agreed.

Rinko- 5  
Misaki- 11

“Rinko missed one of the four goblins, and Misaki would have hit! But a strange blue aura seemed to turn the arrow harmlessly into the floor. Huehehe.” Maya laughed. Misaki was visibly very irritated, but didn’t say anything. “Now it’s time for a new initiative, as your surprise didn’t work. They’re getting up to fight you three!”

“Misaki, Rinko, watch for other enemies!” Ako shouted. 

Initiative:  
Ako- 2  
Goblins- 7

Attack!  
Ako- 18 (d4)= 3 damage  
Sayo- 13 (d4)= 4 damage  
Hagumi- 19 (d6)= 1 damage

G1- dead  
G2- dead  
G3- 14 (d6)= 4 damage  
G4- 1

“Ako, your dagger finds its mark! You skillfully slit the goblin’s throat. Sayo also manages to kill one of her goblins, but another goblin stabs her with a spear. Take four points of damage. The goblin attacking Hagumi misses. New round!”

Initiative  
Rinko- 3  
Goblins- 8

Attack!  
Ako- 17 (d4)= 3 damage  
Sayo- 14 (d4)= 1 damage  
Hagumi- 6

G3- 9  
G4- 

“Ako, you swing around and dispatch the Goblin fighting Hagumi with incredible accuracy. Sayo, you just nick the goblin’s hand, and it starts to scream loudly. Another round!”

“We need to kill it, and fast!” Sayo said, desperately watching as she rolled her D10 for initiative.

Initiative  
Sayo- 4  
Poor Wounded Goblin- 4

Attack!  
Ako- 4  
Sayo- 8  
Hagumi- 8  
PWG- 19

“Well,” Maya began. Ako’s blow looks as though it would miss. She stumbles over a piece of broken furniture, but something almost seems to catch her, and push her dagger deep into the flesh of the goblin! Ako deals four damage, killing it. A strange blue aura dissipates quickly after you pull the dagger free. But we aren’t done yet! Large footsteps can be heard, getting louder and louder, coming from the hallway!”

“Rinko and I ready our bows! Aim for the door!” Misaki said. “The goddess better not have cursed this roll...”

“Misaki, roll twice! You can fire two arrows per round. You will have the initiative this round given your positions.” Maya said, and nodded approvingly.

Rinko- 5  
Misaki- 18 (bow, d6)= 5  
17 (bow, d6)= 5

“As the first Orc charges in, Misaki fires her first arrow right into his heart. He topples over right as the next Orc enters, but alas, he is stopped short by Misaki’s piercing blow.”

“Finally, got ‘em that time!” Misaki cheered. “Let’s search these rooms and move on quickly. I’ll drag the corpses into the room where the goblins were.”

“Alrighty!” Maya said. “After the dust settles, you don’t hear any more footsteps. Misaki drags the bodies into the next room. You notice a fancy looking stick on the floor, and remember that one of the Goblins was studying it when you attacked. Keestake quickly notices and points out that it is one of the magical items that belonged to the queen!” 

“What does it do?” Misaki asked.

“If I remember correctly,” Maya old man Keestake began, “It’s used to find magic! The closer you get to a magical item, the brighter the tip of the wand will glow!”

“Alright, I’ll hold on to it now that I’m badly injured.” Sayo said. “Let’s go to the next room. Maya, I will be watching the wand closely to see if we’re getting closer to magical items.”

“Very well. The next closest door after you go back into the hallway is on the right, they’re a set of double doors! Keestake says it’s the room that used to belong to Viledel, the King.”

“Perfect!” Ako grinned. “I’ll open the door!”

“You open the door!” Maya began. “You’re greeted with more mouldy carpets, tattered and torn drapes, and this room in particular has many gouges in the wall. Broken sofas and chairs litter the floor. Sayo, the wand is glowing a bit brighter! There is another door to the north.”

“Ako will stay and search this room while the others investigate the next room!” Ako said cheerfully. “There might be some non-magical treasure!”  
“Alright,” Maya continued. “So you go into the next room, and now the wand is starting to glow very brightly. A quick sweep of the room seems to indicate that there is something magical in or around the broken desk. There are also broken chairs, sofas, and tables. There is yet another door to the north.”

“Hmm, I like Ako’s idea of having some search the room normally while we also look for magic. I will check the desk. Misaki, you search the room normally!” Sayo said.

“Sayo,” Maya continued. “You easily find that within the desk there is a secret compartment! You open it and find a shiny dagger with a black stone hilt and inlaid golden waves. You also find a small glass flask. Both of these items seem to react with the wand.”

“Okay, so we’ve found magical items, but what do they do?” Misaki asked, looking at Maya. “If it’s a healing potion, we should use it! And if it’s a really powerful dagger, we should be using it now, too.”

“Aha, but you don’t know what they are yet! So it could be risky!” Maya grinned. 

“Ako will take the dagger if no one else will...hehehe…” Ako grinned, and held her hand up to her face. “The dark power bequeathed to me will surely ehh...make me more powerful! It’s just really cool!”

“Yeah, let Ako have it.” Misaki nodded.

“Alright!” Maya said, making a few rolls. “Ako! You’ve found something interesting! You’ve discovered a hidden door in the southern wall of the room you were searching.”

“Really? Cool!” Ako said giddily. “I’ll yell to them to come see what I’ve found!” 

“Wait Ako--” Sayo whispered harshly. 

“I see,” Maya grinned, “So you yell to your group to come see what you’ve found?”

“Uh oh...” Misaki looked nervously at Sayo. “We should get out of this room quickly...”

“Let’s go… through the door… that Ako found...”

“Shirokane san is right, if it’s so well hidden that we missed it when we first entered, perhaps we’ll be able to hide...”

“As you all are hurrying through the door, a single Orc rushes into the room.” Maya looked at Hagumi and Rinko. “You two aren’t through the door yet. What do you do?”

“Rinko will… fire a bolt...”

“Hagumi rolls to Bop!”

Initiative  
Ako-8  
Orc-4

Attack!  
Orc- 8  
Rinko- 8  
Hagumi- 18 (hit) (d6)=4 damage 

“The Orc takes a swing at Hagumi, but misses!” Maya cheered. “Hagumi, you swing your spear like a bat, and bop that Orc right in the head! You gottem!”

“That’s not how spears work, but okay...” Misaki said, shrugging. 

“That’s how Hagumi’s spear works!” Hagumi said, pretending to swing a bat. “And Hagu got a home run!”

“Alright, you two, get through the door!” Sayo said urgently. “More might come!”

“You make it through the door and find yourself in a room full of broken furniture.” Maya said. “Clearly, this was very nice furniture, but it’s all destroyed now. Keestake will tell you that this was the King’s study. There are double doors to the south which lead to the hallway, and a door to the east which leads to the library. Keestake gives you this information readily! Sayo, your wand is not glowing.”

“Let’s waste little time in here.” Sayo said. “Everyone, give a quick check, but then we move into the library.”

“You don’t seem to find anything of use in this room.” Maya nodded. “Ako, you listen at the door and then open it, and immediately you are hit with… the stench of mold. It’s a bit sickening, but not overwhelming.Shattered bookcases and moldy books are strewn all over the floor. There is a large wooden plaque depicting a large muscular man on the bow of a ship, weilding a harpoon. Sayo, your wand glows brightly.”

“Let’s investigate that plaque, then.” Sayo said. “Also, I want to search to see if there are any salvageable books.”

“That’ll be a no on the books, unfortunately...” Maya began. “They’re all ruined beyond repair. The plaque however… Sayo, with the help of your wand, you quickly find that the harpoon is actually a javelin of some magical capabilities!”

“Alright,” Sayo said. “Out into the hallway. We should be making our way towards to the catacomb entrance.”

“As you go to leave,” Maya said, drawing everyone’s attention, “You hear a great amount of wailing coming from the north west… you hear lots of banging and battering noises.”

“Right, let’s move quickly.” Sayo looked at Hagumi. “See if you can wedge a large piece of furniture up against the western door, while we get everyone moving down this hallway.”

“Sure thing, Sayo-san!”

“Hagumi,” Maya began, “You are the last to leave the room and enter the hallway. As you’re leaving, you hear angry voices on the other side of the door you just barred. You hear something slam into it. The rest of you are moving down the hallway, passing many doors.”

“Ooh, should Hagumi fight them??” Hagumi grinned. 

“I want… to reload my crossbow...” Rinko said solemnly. “I think… Hagumi wants to fight...”

“No, we are not fighting them, we’re avoiding them! Let’s get away!” Misaki pleaded. 

“Oh, alright...” Hagumi said, slightly disappointed. 

“The party quickly moves down the hallway and around the corner. You hear more smashing coming from that general direction. It is making a lot of noise.”

“We need to get into the nearest room and hide, as the noise will attract attention from all parties involved. I don’t care which door, just go through the nearest one.”

“Alright, if you insist...” Maya nodded solemnly. “You fling open the nearest door. It’s actually the hallway that leads down the south-eastern wing! There are 6 goblins facing you! Ako and Sayo, you’re in front. Have fun!”

“Well, it was only a matter of time anyway...” Sayo sighed.

“Ako wants to try fighting with two daggers at once!” 

“Ah...” Maya said, thinking aloud. “That could turn out very interesting! I will give you a DM suggestion! Use your new dagger in your left hand.”

Initiative  
Ako- 1  
Goblins- 10

Attack!  
Ako- 8  
Ako- 9  
Sayo- 4  
G1- 6  
G2- 15 (d6)= 3 damage  
G3- 2

“Ako!” Maya winced. “You’re hit for 3 points of damage. They just barely hit you!”

Initiative  
Rinko- 9  
Goblins- 6

Attack!  
G1- 5  
G2- 5  
G3- 3  
Ako- 19 (D4)=3 damage  
Ako- 13 (D4+2)= 3 damage  
Sayo- 1

“Aha!” Maya shouted. “Ako, you quickly dispatch one goblin with your right hand, and slice the throat of another goblin with your left! Since you don’t have a shield, and you have an incredibly high dexterity, your character is perfect for attacking with two weapons!”

Initiative  
Sayo- 3  
Goblins- 2

Attack!!!  
Ako- 1  
G4- 6  
G5- 20 (d6)= 1 damage  
G3- 7  
Sayo- 4   
Ako- 18 (d4+2)= 6 damage

“Ako, your left hand dagger is driven right into the throat of the goblin that seemed to be leading this group. He nicked you for one point of damage before falling to the ground in a heap. The other goblins turn to run, so you get a free attack!”

Initiative  
Misaki- 2  
Goblins- 8

Attack!  
Ako- 17 (d4)= 4 damage  
Sayo- 10

“As Ako and Sayo turn to rejoin the group,” Maya began, “Misaki, you hear a door down the hallway fly open and slam against a wall. Two orcs come barrelling out the door. They see you and run down the hallway, wielding swords!”

“Rinko, let’s shoot them!” Misaki said, nodding to Rinko.

Attack!!  
Rinko- 7  
Misaki- 10 (d6)= 3 damage  
Misaki- 15 (d6)= 5 damage

“Misaki!” Maya smiled. “Both orcs fall to your arrows. Sorry Rinko, I guess the dice aren’t liking you much today...”

“Yes!” Misaki shouted and leaned over to high-five Sayo, who just stared back at her. “Alright... I think we’re too injured to really keep looking for treasure, let’s get out of here!”

“Yes, let’s.” Sayo said, looking at Maya. “Keestake, take us straight to the exit.”

“Alrighty!” Maya began. “You make your way down the north-east wing, almost down the entire length of it. Keestake points at a door, and tells you it’s located inside this room.”

“Ako opens the door, dagger at the ready!” Ako shouted.

“You open the door,” Maya began, “and find a room with a few broken desks and a few bookcases. Keestake tells you that there should be a button on top of the bookcase that, when pressed, causes the bookcase to swing open and reveal a passage leading downward.”

“Ako,” Sayo said. “You press the button. The rest of us will try to barricade this door so that no one follows us!”

“It takes you about fifteen minutes, but you seem to have blocked the doorway. It will definitely impede someone from opening the door.” Maya explained. “Sure enough, as Keestake said, the bookcase swings open, revealing a shaft leading downwards, with rusted rungs. It’s a long ways down, but the rungs seem sturdy enough! Do you decide to descend?”

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Hagumi exclaimed excitedly.

“Alright, it is at this point where I will need to speak with each of you individually, as I believe you have all made it to first level, and need to choose your classes!”

“I hope I get Physical Education!” Hagumi grinned.

EXPERIENCE! (remember! They started at -500 experience, which I hadn’t included in previous totals oops. The Magic wand is worth 2500 points, divided equally.)

Ako- 165+102+500+250 (-500)= 517  
Rinko- 205+20+500+250 (-500)= 475  
Sayo- 113+12+500 (-500)= 125  
Misaki- 120+60+500+450 (-500)= 630  
Hagumi-255+30+500 (-500)= 285

Hit points

Ako- 2  
Rinko- 6  
Sayo- 2  
Misaki- 2  
Hagumi- 6

Weapons proficiencies (and who ended up with the magic) (and potential class, to be determined next chapter, but people who comment might sway me another way! Actually plz help with rinko I dunno what she should be tbh)

Ako- dagger (magic dagger) [Thief]  
Rinko- crossbow (magic javelin) [??? Fighter I guess. Maybe a ranger?]  
Sayo- dagger (wand of magic detection) [Magic User]  
Misaki- broadsword, dagger, bow, axe (potion of ???) [Fighter]  
Hagumi- dagger, spear [Cleric of Aqua, and I’ll probably allow use of edged weapons, since some gods/goddesses do allow for this, such as Celestian]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to comment on what you think Rinko should be! Because it's first edition, it's not like there are many options, but with her stats, she could be almost anything. Classes in first edition AD&D (that she could be) include:  
> Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Thief, and Monk.


	6. Character Creation!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Maya helps everyone finish creating the characters they've been using. A fun, short little chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not entirely necessary for the actual story, although it will help some things make sense. Now that everyone is first level, they have first level abilities that they'll be using. It also helps me keep better track of them. Also, I aged their characters up to 21 because they would then be considered mature (otherwise, they would lose a point of strength and wisdom until they became older, which won't happen in this fic....most likely). It's just easier, trust me.
> 
> Edit: Yikes, the formatting needs changing, I'll get to work on that.  
> Edit2: fixed, mostly haha

“Alright, so here’s the deal,” Maya began, “Dungeons and Dragons characters have to choose a class, such as fighter, magic user, thief, and so forth. During your adventure, I’ve taken notes about how each of you have been playing, and have come up with what I think your class should be. There’s also your alignment, which basically means whether you’re good, evil, or neutral.” 

“I hope it’s safe to assume that we’re all good.” Sayo said. “I do not think any of us have had evil intentions.”

“Ah, well, while that may be the case, some of you have been Chaotic good and Lawful good, and even neutral with a preference to good.” Maya explained. “We’ll start with Ako. Ako, you’ve been behaving much like a thief, especially with the multiple successful backstabs you’ve completed! Thieves are typically evil, however, a select few can be neutral-good.”

“The dark wolf, hiding in the shadows, daggers of gloom, ….ehhhh...” Ako began with a passion that quickly fizzled out.

“I take that as a yes! Alright, here’s what to write down...”

Ako of Korrin SC: N/A  
Human AL: NG T1  
Str: 13 __________HT: 4’10’’  
Int: 11 __________WT: 99lbs  
Wis: 12 _________Age: 21  
Dex: 17 ________AC: 4  
Con: 13 ________HP: 2/6  
Cha: 12 ________XP: 517  
Com: 12

Thief skills:  
Pick pockets- 35%  
Open locks- 35%  
locate/remove traps- 20%  
Moving silently- 20%  
Hiding in shadows- 15%  
Hear noise- 10%  
Climb walls- 85%  
Backstab!- Sneak behind an enemy and do double damage

Character Description:  
Born on July 3rd, CE 555, Ako of the Korrin Archipelago is a human thief with long purple hair and red eyes. She was captured by pirates and was about to be forced into a life of slavery until the ship crashed on the Isle of Viledel! She wants to help her new friends to become stronger and richer together with the help of her abilities.

“Wow! Look at all the stuff I can do, Rinrin!” Ako grinned devilishly. “This is so much fun! My character is so cool already!”

“Yes, however, you have a most dangerous job...” Maya nodded solemnly. “In this edition, poison traps are very deadly. Be careful! Alright Rinko, it’s your turn. I think you should be a ranger. They are a subclass of fighter that is good at tracking creatures. Here’s what you need to write down for your character…”

Rinko of Korrin SC: N/A  
Human AL: NG R1  
Str: 15 __________HT: 5’2’’  
Int: 14 __________WT: 130lbs  
Wis: 15 _________Age: 21  
Dex: 15 _________AC: 9  
Con: 15 _________HP: 13/13  
Cha: 13 _________XP: 475  
Com: 14

Character Description:  
Born on October 17th, CE 555, Rinko of the Korrin Archipelago is a human Ranger with long black hair and purple eyes. She was captured by pirates and was about to be forced into a life of slavery until the ship crashed on the Isle of Viledel! She hopes to help Ako with whatever her quest may be, and hopes she is strong enough to be of use. 

“So I fight...and track...” Rinko said. “I like it...”

“Great!” Maya smiled. “You are very good against giant class creatures, which include Goblins and Orcs. You do extra damage equal to your level! We’ll make an exception and allow you to use a heavy crossbow, since that’s the weapon with which your character is proficient. Alright Sayo, it’s your turn, and I imagine this might take awhile...”

Sayo of Korrin SC: N/A  
Human AL: LG MU1  
Str: 14 __________HT: 5’4’’  
Int: 17 __________WT: 110lbs  
Wis: 17 _________Age: 21  
Dex: 15 _________AC: 9  
Con: 15 ________HP: 2/6  
Cha: 14 _________XP: 120  
Com: 11

Spells: Magic Missile or Sleep  
(to be completed later) 

Character Description:  
Born on March 20th, CE 555, Sayo of the Korrin Archipelago is a human Magic User with long blue hair and green eyes. She was captured by pirates and was about to be forced into a life of slavery until the ship crashed on the Isle of Viledel! She is looking forward to studying her newfound magical abilities. Hopefully, she will become a powerful wizard one day.

“Now Sayo,” Maya began, “Your character will be unique in many ways. Magic Users are typically much older, and have usually studied magic for more than one day, so for now I’ll let you choose between one of the two spells in the book that you’ve read. Magic Missile is a guaranteed hit, d4+1 of damage. Sleep is a spell that basically puts up to 16 creatures to sleep for 5 rounds. When you get to a more civilized area, we’ll complete your character’s spell abilities. Unfortunately, you only get one spell per day until you level up!”

“Hmm, I see.” Sayo nodded, a little disappointed that her character wasn’t quite as cool or powerful as the other’s. “I suppose I just have to wait and become more powerful...”

“Don’t worry, Sayo san!” Hagumi shouted cheerfully. “You’ll be really powerful one day!”

“Misaki! Your turn! I think you should be a fighter, for obvious reasons.” Maya said, looking towards Misaki.

“I mean, do I have a choice? What should I write down?”

Misaki of Korrin SC: N/A  
Elf AL: CG F1  
Str: 18(84)(+2, +4) ____HT: 6’0”  
Int: 12_________________WT: 200lbs  
Wis: 12 ________________Age: 151  
Dex: 16 _______________AC: 8  
Con: 11 _______________HP: 5/9  
Cha: 12 _______________XP: 630  
Com: 13

Character Description:  
Born on October 1st, CE 425, Misaki of the Korrin Archipelago is an elven fighter with dark purple hair and bright red eyes. She was captured by pirates and was about to be forced into a life of slavery until the ship crashed on the Isle of Viledel! This was all rather sudden, like most things in her life. She wants to use her strength to help her new companions get off the island and make a living. 

“Woah!!!” Misaki exclaimed loudly. “You’re telling me I do 4 extra damage every time I hit??? And I actually have some hit points now!”

“Yepp!” Maya grinned. “Just think what will happen when you get magical weapons! Your armor class is still pretty poor, though. Alright Hagumi, your turn! I think you should be a Cleric of the goddess you’ve been helping!”

“YES!” Hagumi cheered. “I love the goddess!”

Hagumi of Korrin SC: N/A  
Human AL: CG C1  
Str: 15 __________HT: 5’7’’  
Int: 14 __________WT: 110lbs  
Wis: 14 _________Age: 21  
Dex: 14 ________AC: 10  
Con: 15 ________HP: 8/8  
Cha: 16 ________XP: 285  
Com: 16

Cure Light Wounds (3) (D8)  
Turn undead (once per creature, unlimited)  
Pray for spells each morning! 

Character Description:  
Born on July 30th, CE 555, Hagumi of the Korrin Archipelago is a human cleric with dark purple hair and red eyes. She’s very tall and majestic. She was captured by pirates and was about to be forced into a life of slavery until the ship crashed on the Isle of Viledel! She wants to tell everyone about her goddess, Aqua, and the great things she’s done for those who believe in her. By spreading this word to everyone, she can make the world a wonderful place!

“So I can heal people now!” Hagumi cheered again. “I wanna heal everyone!”

“Be mindful of what you can do as a cleric, because turning undead is important too! Also, unlike a magic user, you pray for whatever spells you want when you wake up in the morning. We’ll start you off with three Cure Light Wounds, as it is the most important first level spell!”

“Thanks, Goddess Aqua!” Hagumi grinned.

“That should do it for character creation! Now, for the next part of the story...”

Non-weapon Proficiencies:  
Ako: Swimming, Rope Use, fire building  
Rinko: Foraging, plant lore  
Sayo: Alertness, healing  
Misaki: Hunting, Swimming  
Hagumi: Running, fire building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I forgot their official non-weapon and weapon proficiency, oops. I just stuck those at the end.


	7. Into the Catacombs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spelunking time! Our adventure continues with Ako and friends doing the classic D&D Dungeon Crawl Lite!

“While Yamato san is preparing, let’s make a plan.” Sayo said, gathering everyone’s attention. “We have new strength with our upgraded characters, so we must use this to our advantage. The spell I would officially like to have is Sleep.”

“Hagu will heal three people!” Hagumi said, raising her hand. 

“Yeah, that would be nice...” Misaki said. “I also still have this potion that does… something. But there are three of us injured, and three healing spells, so maybe we should save the potion for later.”

“Ako and Rinko seem most suited to help us navigate underground.” Sayo said, and then appeared rather confused. “Hmm, I don’t think we’ve thought about how we’re going to see things underground.” 

“Hmm,” Maya said, “You notice rather quickly that magical items have a faint glow. Ako’s dagger, for instance, emits enough light to be able to see. You can’t see very far, but you can move around with relative safety!”

“That’s very useful information.” Sayo nodded approvingly. “Now, let’s take a look at this map that Keestake has given us.”

“There’s lots of good stuff down here!” Misaki said excitedly. “He’s labeled this part here as ‘good weapons and armor’, and apparently there is some fresh water here. If we’re escaping an island, we might be at sea for a while. Carrying fresh water would be important.”

“Another thing...” Rinko said. “Even if we get… a boat… can we sail it?”

“Good question, Rinrin!” Ako frowned. “I suppose just floating at sea is better than staying on an island that’ll be destroyed...”

“I, Melisana of Ventris, have the ability to sail!” Maya Melisana proclaimed loudly, and then reverted to her Dungeon Master voice. “I’m now ready to begin this next part! So, each of you have worked your way down into the catacombs. There is light emitting from Ako’s dagger, Rinko’s Javelin, and Sayo’s wand. A much fainter light emits from Misaki’s potion.”

“Hagu heals everyone!” Hagumi said, barely containing her excitement. She reached out and touched Ako, Sayo, and Misaki. “Heal! Heal! Heal!”

Hagumi Healing:  
Ako- 8  
Sayo- 5  
Misaki- 7  
“All sores and wounds are now miraculously healed!” Maya said gleefully. “Hagumi, you get experience every time you successfully use a spell on another person! You can heal yourself too, but it won’t earn experience!”

“The Goddess Aqua healed everyone! I just helped!” Hagumi grinned. 

“While Hagumi was healing everyone,” Maya began, “Everyone’s eyes have now adjusted to the strange light. You see that the room is roughly carved out of stone, and there are two brick walls partially partitioning the room. To the south, there is a hallway that leads deeper into the catacombs. You hear dripping water and the scurrying of rodents.”

“Alright, I think the most efficient way to utilize our time is to search each of these areas in pairs of two.” Sayo said. 

“Suddenly!” Maya shouted, startling everyone at the table. “You hear shouts and gruff voices coming from the shaft that you used to descend down into the catacombs.”

“What?!” Misaki shouted. “How’d they find us already?” 

“Ako readies her daggers!”

“I will… prepare my crossbow...” 

“Keestake rushes over to the side wall and begins tugging on a hidden mechanism.” Maya said. “Suddenly there is lots of rumbling, coarse screaming, and lots of dust and debris comes spewing from the shaft.”

“What did you do?” Sayo shouted, looking sternly at Maya. 

“Oh, it was a trap I set long ago!” Maya old man Keestake said proudly. “Just in case anyone were to try and follow me down here one day… lots o’ rocks now block that shaft. I think I deserve some congratulations for that!”

“Good job, Steak-kun!” Hagumi smiled. “We would have been in trouble if it weren’t for you!”

“I knew we’d make it...” Maya old man Keestake began. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been down here.”

“How long ago was that??” Hagumi looked inquisitively at Maya, a genuine interest in her eyes.

“Over 50 years ago, I think… Right after them first pirates killed my king an’ queen. I couldn’t just leave him there, ya know? I had to prepare him up fine for the afterworld.”

“That must’ve been incredibly sad!” Hagumi frowned, tearing up. “What did you do next?”

“While Hagumi is doing...whatever she’s doing, let’s continue searching.” Sayo said, but Maya didn’t pay much attention to her statement.

“I dragged their bodies down here, and dressed them up. Sad, sad work. They looked so sad! He had this ring on him, and I knew what it did. It was used for wishin’, and so I knelt and prayed and prayed that their bodies would remain fit and healthy for the afterlife, and not decay. I couldn’t give a proper burial, you see, and they needed help.” Maya old man Keestake said, becoming gradually more emphatic. 

“That’s ridiculous.” Sayo said. “Things like that don’t work.”

“Yeah, why would you waste a wish on something like that?” Misaki frowned. “I’m not really sure what that kind of magic does, but I’d try to wish for something else before I wished for that.”

“Aha, but it worked!” Maya old man Keestake laughed and laughed. “It worked! Years and years later, he’s still there, fresh as ever!” 

“He… could be undead...” Rinko said, looking to Sayo. “This… is bad news...”

“And who are you to say it’s bad news?” Maya old man Keestake shouted directly at Rinko. “He was my King! And it’s you lot that want to make off with his treasure! We’re all going to die down here now… take this!”

“He’s attacking us?” Sayo looked at Maya in disbelief. “Is he insane?”

“Quite! Huehehe.” Maya laughed. “Now, since he rolled successfully to surprise you, he gets a free attack. Rinko, he has stabbed you for one point of damage! Now, initiative.

“No! Don’t fight him!” Hagumi said. “We should try to save him!” 

“I’m stepping away from this fight as well.” Sayo said. “Hagumi, he is actively against us, there is nothing we can do.” Hagumi frowned, tearing up a bit. 

“But it’s Steak-kun! Isn’t there anything we can do?”

Initiative:  
Ako- 9  
Keestake- 9 

Attack!  
Ako- 2  
Ako- 3  
Rinko- 14 (d4+1)= 2 damage  
Misaki- 7(+2)  
Keestake- 12

“Rinko, your crossbow bolt strikes him in the arm for 2 damage.” Maya nodded solemnly. “It doesn’t seem to have affected him, as he is still laughing maniacally!”

“Hagumi… we can’t help everyone...” Misaki began, but then sighed. “Maya, is there anything we can do to not kill him?”

“You could potentially try to subdue him, or knock him unconscious, however this will be tricky to do as he is such a feeble old man. I’ll allow you to try, I suppose. The odds aren’t great, and you’ll likely take more damage trying to do so!”

“We’ll try it.” Misaki stated, smiling at Hagumi. 

Initiative:  
Rinko- 6  
Keestake- 1

Attack!  
Keestake- 2  
Ako- 10  
Rinko-  
Misaki- 17(+2), (2d4+4)= 12 damage

“I’m sorry, Hagumi...I should’ve stayed out of the fight...”

“Twelve damage is way too much damage to only subdue, unfortunately...” Maya said. “Your attack was too strong, and ended his life. It’s okay, Hagumi! There will be other friends!”

“It’s just sad that he didn’t get a chance to be with his king again!” Hagumi cried. 

“We can...still take him to see the King...when we find him...” Rinko suggested, and Hagumi seemed to cheer up a little. 

“Right, now that that’s over, let’s begin searching.” Sayo stated, with little hesitation. “Ako, you come with me to search this first area, Misaki and Rinko will search the second, and then we’ll all search the third area marked ‘good weapons and armor’.”

“Right, so you spend some time searching these areas!” Maya said. “Ako and Sayo find a great number of wooden bins and barrels that seem to have contained grains long ago. Misaki and Rinko find many scraps of leather and cloth.”

“I suppose we could make some torches, that way we can see much more of what’s down here.” Sayo said, looking to Maya for approval.

“Yes! That’s perfectly doable, given the materials. It does take some time to get a fire going, but both Ako and Hagumi are becoming much better at it! Alright, for the third area, you all see many large crates stacked on top of each other up to the ceiling. Ako! Make a percentile roll!”

“Okay!” Ako cheered. “Eh.. I got a 20%.”

“Wonderful!” Maya grinned. “You just barely notice a steel tripwire not a moment too soon.”

“Oh no! A steel tripwire?” Ako asked, confused. “Why would that be down here? I uh… tell everyone where it is!”

“Can you...disarm it…?” Rinko asked.

“Oh easily!” Maya said. “Ako, you quickly learn that the tripwire is attached to the crates. If you were to trip it, all of the crates would have come crashing down on you!”

“Well, let’s check the crates carefully then.”Sayo suggested. “Starting with the top, and being careful not to cause them to fall.”

“After many attempts...you succeed in getting the crates down.” Maya began. “Misaki is really the only one tall enough and with enough strength to move the crates. She lowers them down one at a time with great difficulty, but after a bit of work, there is now no danger of the crates falling.” 

“Well, what’s in them?” Misaki asked, rather impatiently. 

“Oh, some rocks.” Maya said, scribbling some things down on a nearby sheet.

“Rocks?!” Misaki said, bewildered. “Are you telling me I just moved a ton of rocks for no reason?”

“Well, there’s some dirt and pebbles in the crates as well! Huehehe!” Maya laughed heartily. 

“But under the rocks, there aren’t weapons?” Sayo was also surprised.

“Keestake… was clearly lying… ” Rinko stated. “He may have been...crazy all along...”

“She could be right...” Misaki said, pondering the situation. “By telling us there was treasure, he knew we would go right into this trap! In fact, he even said that the shaft collapsing was made in case anyone followed him here! When we’re looking at his map, we should probably be extra careful around the places he’s marked.”

“The other markings on the map...let’s see...” Ako said thoughtfully. “There’s good water over here, the ‘Go-Slow’ hallway is down here, and then it also shows the entrance to the crypt. Wait! What if all of that was a lie, too? What if there isn’t a boat?? Or a way out???”

“We need to keep a level head and finish exploring down here before we come to any conclusions...” Sayo said. There was a definite hint of doubt in her voice, and the rest of the group noticed.

“...right...” Misaki said, feeling a bit disheartened. “We are trapped down here, so we may as well thoroughly search for a way out. I guess we’ll continue down this way.” Misaki pointed to the map.

“Right, right!” Maya said. “Just as you begin going down that hallway... you see a large tapestry hanging from the ceiling. You cannot see past it. It clearly used to depict something, but it’s now all rotten and moldy.”

“Is everything in this game gross and disgusting?” Sayo said disapprovingly. 

“Well, the island has been sitting here for sixty years, untouched!” Maya laughed.

“I want to check the tapestry to see if it’s trapped!” Ako said, bouncing back out of hopelessness. 

“Ah! Yes!” Maya grinned, and made a few rolls. “It doesn’t seem to be trapped!” 

“You must have failed the roll, Ako. Let me attempt to search for traps as well.” Sayo said, using her newfound skill of meta-gaming. 

“Ah, but you also don’t seem to find any traps!” Maya laughed. “You both have done a very thorough search! It could very well be that the tapestry… isn’t actually trapped!”

“Oh!” Ako said, surprised and amused. “I never thought of that possibility!” Sayo groaned a bit, determined to keep that in mind the next time they searched for something. 

“I’m going to try to remove the tapestry, then.” Misaki said. 

“You take the tapestry down, and nothing seems to happen.” Maya began. “About 20 feet further, there is another tapestry!” 

“I want to check that one for traps, too!” Ako grinned.  
“Again, you don’t seem to find anything awry with this tapestry!” Maya nodded. “Is there anything you would like to do, Sayo?”

“What? No! Ako checked it, it probably isn’t trapped. Let’s take this one down too.” 

“Suddenly!” Maya shouted, mostly drowning out Sayo’s curses, “As soon as the curtain is pulled down, you hear rumbling! The ceiling is coming down! Everyone must roll a D20!”

Saving Throw vs. Death  
Ako- 2 (incredibly bad fail, 2d6 points of damage)  
Rinko- 6 (fail, 1d6 points of damage)  
Sayo- 20  
Misaki- 16  
Hagumi- 8 (fail, 1d6)  
Melisana- 20

“Rocks and timbers come crashing down all around you!” Maya said, making whooshing and crashing noises. “Sayo! You nimbly leap out of the way, avoiding damage! Misaki, a large beam comes crashing toward you, but you narrowly escape! Ako… you take a very unlucky pummeling from many stones and rocks...5 damage! Rinko, you also take 6 damage from falling rocks, and Hagumi sustains one point of damage. Melisana is miraculously unharmed.” 

“Oh no!” Ako frowned. “I’m almost dead! I’m down to one hit point...”

“But you’re not dead yet!” Maya said, grinning. “A lot can still happen! And has yet to happen! The dust settles, you tend to your wounds, and the tapestry has fallen in the process, revealing another large room with two brick walls sectioning it off into three parts. For reference, the note on your map marked ‘good water’ should be in the third and farthest section.”

“Let’s all search these little sections...” Ako suggested nervously. “I don’t wanna die!”

“That does seem wise.” Sayo nodded. “We have no notes on these first two rooms. Let’s see what we can find.”

“Right!” Maya began. “So you notice right away that there are many, many crates. They are piled up, front to back, and almost to the ceiling. These crates don’t seem as though they’re going to fall, though.”

“What’s in the crates?” Sayo asked. “Don’t tell me it’s more rocks and dirt.”

“It’s more rocks and dirt! Huehehe!” Maya laughed. “At least, the crate that Misaki pulled down contained only rocks and dirt. But she can work laboriously to pull them all down if you wish!”

“But why?” Sayo wrinkled her nose. “Why would anyone spend that much time stacking useless things like this?” Rinko looked thoughtfully at Sayo, but then shook her head. 

“Well, let’s get moving then.” Misaki says. “We don’t want to waste time, as we’re still needing to get off this island.” 

“That’s a good point.” Sayo agreed. “Next area.”

“This area looks virtually the same as the one you were just in. Many, many crates, piled high.”

“I think we should just come back if we end up having time to look through these crates. There’s probably nothing here.” Misaki said, shaking her head in disapproval. 

“Just move one crate, to see if there’s also rocks and dirt, please.” Sayo said, practically giving Misaki an order. 

“Look, I’ll do it this time, but my character isn’t just a sack of meat to abuse, ya know!” Misaki said, rather put out. 

“As you’re taking down the crate...” Maya began.

“Oh hell no, see what you did to me? Something bad’s gonna happen now.” Misaki groaned.

“Multiple furry creatures scurry from behind and between crates, and attack Misaki’s legs! They missed this time, but they aren’t backing down! There are five of them altogether, and you quickly identify them as giant rats!”

“I want to drop this damn crate on them.” Misaki said, and then grinned. 

“Uh… roll to hit…?” Maya stammered, looking slightly confused. She started pulling out some books and frantically looking through notes. This was clearly unexpected. 

“The rest of us will attack as well.” Sayo said. “Except Ako, she should stay out of this for now.”

Initiative:  
Ako- 4  
Rats- 5

Attack!  
Rinko- 13 (d4+1)= 4 damage  
Sayo- 1  
Misaki- 18 (hit)= 4 damage  
Hagumi- 20 (1d6)= 4 damage  
Rat1- n/a  
Rat2- 13 (1/2D6)= 1 damage  
Rat3- n/a  
Rat4- 10  
Rat5- n/a

“Rinko, your bolt strikes true, destroying a rat!” Maya shouted excitedly. “Hagumi, you also stab a rat with your spear, and Misaki, you let go of the crate and completely smoosh another rat! It does make a rather sickening sound as all of it’s bones are crushed, much like Caesar's! However, there are two left, and they’re both attacking you. One nips your ankle for one point of damage!”

“That’s just cruel, Maya-san...” Misaki shudders. 

Initiative!  
Rinko- 2  
Rat- 7

Attack!  
Sayo- 1  
Misaki- 7  
Hagumi- 1  
Rat2- 15 (1/2D6)= 2 damage  
Rat4- 7

“What an abysmal round!” Maya said, nodding solemnly. “Still, Misaki only takes another 2 points of damage, bringing her to a total of six, I believe. New round!”

Initiative!  
Sayo- 3  
Rats- 5

Attack!  
Rinko- 19 (d4+1)= 5 damage  
Sayo- 11  
Misaki- 20 (2d4)= 6 damage  
Hagumi- 16 (1d6)= 3 damage  
Rat2- n/a  
Rat4- n/a

“Rinko, your rat now is skewered! Huehehe!” Maya laughed. “Misaki and Hagumi, you each hit the rat at the same time, causing it to be dispatched rather quickly. There doesn’t seem to be other rats in the area right now.”

“Alright, we killed them, but what’s in the crate??” Misaki asked impatiently. 

“More rocks! Huehehe!” Maya laughed. “Would you like to check another?”

“Nope, next area.” Misaki shook her head. “There isn’t much down here at all, is there? My bet is that there’s nothing much left to get.”

“In this next area, there are no crates, but simply a well.” Maya began. “An old, tattered rope, and a bucket are still attached to the crank. The rope looks too deteriorated to use. There’s nothing else in this area.”

“Unless we’re thirsty, there’s no reason to try to use the well.” Sayo said. “But the bucket could come in handy. Let’s keep the bucket and continue. The next obstacle seems to be this ‘go slow’ hallway.”

“Yes,” Maya said. “You quickly notice that this hallway, unlike the others, has a laid stone floor which is buckled and sagging in many places. What do you do?” 

“Maybe we should go fast instead of slow?” Ako asked. “If it’s another trick, then we should go fast!”

“How about instead we simply stay close to the sides of the hallway and avoid all of the buckled and sagging parts of the floor?” Sayo said. “Would that be possible?”

“While the majority of the floor does seem to be quite...suspicious...the sides of the hallway seem quite a bit better.” Maya explained. 

“I’ll try that.” Sayo said. “I want to hand over my valuable things to someone else, in case the worst happens.”

“Okay!” Maya smiled. “So, hugging the wall, you move very cautiously down the hallway. And suddenly!” Maya shouted, and paused for dramatic effect. “You find yourself on the other side, completely unscathed.”

“Right, so instead of trying to guess whether or not to go fast or slow, just hug the sides of the wall.” Sayo said, desperately trying to conceal her tight smile of satisfaction. 

“So, presumably, the rest of you cross in a similar manner?” Maya asked, and received nods of confirmation. “Good! You all safely make it across the hallway and into this next area, which I will describe to you now! This area is unlike the other two. The hallway splits, one split goes east and has five doors on the right side. The other continues south, and you can see another opening to the east.”

“This is nothing like Keestake’s map.” Sayo said, highly disappointed. “Although, the exit should be just around that other opening. I would like to go check that now.”

“You turn the corner and see another set of five doors on the left, but there doesn’t appear to be any other exit.” Maya explained.

“Fine, fine, I go and check the area to see if there isn’t another door we’ve missed. And I’ll open the farthest 5th door after that. ”

“After a good search, you don’t find anything!” Maya said, a thin smile slowly appearing on her face. “But Sayo, roll percentile for me!”

“You went too fast, Hikawa-san...” Misaki smiled, and Sayo glared at her.

Sayo’s spot traps roll- 44

“You fail to see the trap!” Maya began, “You fling open the door, and you are struck in the side with a bolt for 2 points of damage! There is a rusty crossbow in the chair, and opening the door releases the bolt!” Sayo sighed heavily, knocking her hands against her head.

The party searched the rest of the rooms. No treasure was found, and frustrations continued to grow among all members. Ten rooms total, and there was no hint of treasure or escape to be found. Ako pouted, Rinko remained quiet, Sayo fumed, Misaki sighed, and Hagumi looked rather forlorn. Maya reminded them that Keestake did say they would never find the crypt, which indicates that there is a crypt. This only boosted their spirits slightly. 

“Hikawa san...” Rinko began. “There was something you said a while ago... that might be a clue...”

“Something I said?” Sayo looked confused. “Surely you mean Yamato-san.”

“The crates...” Rinko said. “Why did someone do that…? Perhaps to hide something...”

“Shirokane-san, that must be it!” Sayo said, excitedly. “Keestake must have moved all the crates over the door to the way out! I’m sure that if there’s a door, it’s going to be behind those crates. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier!” 

“Yeah, let’s hurry back and get those crates moved!” Misaki said. Her excitement invigorated the others. 

“Of course, we’re not going to hurry across the ‘go slow’ hallway, but rather hug the walls!” Sayo said quickly, hoping that she suggested it in time.

“Alright!” Maya grinned. “So you return to the two rooms that were filled with crates full of rocks and dirt. You get there safely! However, you hear a strange noise...”

“What does it sound like?” Ako asked.  
“You have to listen very closely, as it’s coming from a distance, but you hear a sort of rumbling sound. It doesn’t happen very often, but every now and then, there is a bit of a rumble.”

“Do we physically feel it? Can we tell which direction it’s coming from? Does it feel like an earthquake?” Sayo asked, flooding Maya with questions.

“Well, first of all, Ako heard this and you did not!” Maya grinned. “But if you were to ask Ako, she would tell you that no, you can’t feel it. It doesn’t seem like an earthquake. And yes, the sound is coming from down the hallway, in the direction of the entrance.”

“We need to go figure out what that noise is.” Sayo said, taking command. “Misaki, you stay here and start moving the crates. Rinko and I will go investigate the noise.” 

“If...it’s an enemy...we should block the way...with crates...” Rinko said.

“Great idea, Shirokane san.” Sayo said, smiling. “Just leave a way for us to get back!”

“Misaki!” Maya said. “Which room would you like to begin moving crates?”

“The room without the rats, I guess.” Misaki replied. 

“Alright!” Maya said. “So, Rinko and Sayo make their way back towards the entrance of the catacombs, taking care to step over the body of Keestake. Sure enough, you can hear gruff voices coming from higher up in the shaft, and you can see small stones and dust falling down at your feet. Clearly, creatures are working their way down the shaft”

“How much time do we have?” Sayo asked, her eyes full of worry. 

“Firstly, I can’t tell you that!” Maya chuckled. “Secondly, how much time before what exactly? The unknown creatures coming down the shaft, or nightfall?” Maya grinned as the realization of their predicament became clearer.

Sayo’s eyes widened. “We’re going to go help Misaki with those crates!”

“...but first...” Rinko said. “We’re going to take Keestake with us...”

Hagumi, who up until this point was rather silent and mopey, sat straight up in her chair. A look of happy surprise crossed her face. 

“No, we don’t have time to carry a dead body around. That is ridiculous.” Sayo said. “OW! What the hell?” Rinko, Ako, and Misaki glared daggers at Sayo. Hagumi began to tear up. 

“Saying that is worse than cursing!” Misaki said coarsely, and frowned. “You’re gonna help Rinko pick up Keestake right now.”

“Oh fine, we’ll pick him up.” Sayo said, wincing. There were 3 sizable bruises on her legs. 

“Huehehe, right, so you take Keestake and make it back to where the others are!” Maya said. “Misaki left a hole for you to fit through.”

“We need to go, and fast.” Sayo said. “I tell the others that there are enemies coming down the shaft!”

“Working together, you’re able to move all of the crates in the first room in such a way that you block the hallway. Misaki also notices a discoloration in the wall.” Maya said excitedly. 

“I’ll try to figure out how to open it, then!” Misaki said.

“Sure enough, you easily find the mechanism that opens the door! It is quite obvious to see now that the crates have been removed. You also hear a rather loud crash coming from the direction of the entrance to the catacombs. What do you do?”

“We’re getting the hell out of here.” Sayo said. “Let’s go through this door!”

“I’m grabbing Keestake!” Misaki said. 

“Hagumi...” Rinko began. “Don’t forget...there might be an undead creature...this way...”

“Very well!” Maya said, nodding approvingly. “You’ve made it this far, and there’s one more chapter left! Huehehe. Now, let me just take a few moments to prepare!”

Experience!

Ako- 517+50= 567  
Rinko- 475+8+25+10+10= 528  
Sayo- 125+25= 150  
Misaki- 630+8+10+5+25= 678  
Hagumi- 285+75+10+5= 375

Hit points

Ako- 1  
Rinko- 6  
Sayo- 4  
Misaki- 6  
Hagumi- 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the penultimate chapter in the module, so the next chapter will be the end of the fic! Hope you've enjoyed it so far! Ako was super lucky to have not died. I breathed such a sigh of relief when I rolled a 2 and a 3 for her 2d6 damage. Oof. Basically she's done for if she gets hit even once!


	8. Break in!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of the thrilling module, Treasure Hunt! Are our heroes going to taste freedom? Or taste the wrath of an angry goddess?

Maya sat at the table, perplexed. She could tell that everyone was having fun, but there was clearly a bit of darkness that hung over the group. Hagumi was having a difficult time, as the underlying themes of the game were clearly darker than she expected or wanted. There had to be a way to fix that! Making the characters carry around Keestake was not part of the module, but perhaps there was something she could do to help the session end on a positive note... 

“I think I’ve got it...” Maya said aloud, without realizing.

“What have you got? The best way to kill us all?” Misaki said sarcastically. 

“No, better than that!” Maya smiled sweetly. “If you’re ready, we can begin!”

“The Queen of the Shadows will...eh...” Ako hoarsely whispered. “Somehow get out of this mess!”

“Udagawa san, perhaps you shouldn’t fight...” Sayo said, smiling. “As for a plan, Kitazawa san and Okusawa san should lead, and Shirokane san and I will take the rear. Don’t forget, I have a spell that can slow the enemies sufficiently.”

“I’ll prepare my crossbow...” Rinko said. “I’m running low on bolts, however...”

“I’m gonna have to set Steak-kun down at the first sign of danger...” Misaki said apologetically, hoping Hagumi would be okay with that. 

“I know!” Hagumi beamed. She was clearly still shaken by his death, but her cheeriness was bouncing back. “I’m so happy we’re taking him this far, at least!” 

“So, you’ve just found this secret door,” Maya began, “And it opens into a pitch-black tunnel. The stone walls and floor are damp, and only allow for a single file progression. Also, as I mentioned before, you hear a loud crashing noise coming from the direction of the shaft that led you down to the catacombs.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna run down this tunnel as quickly as I can.” Misaki nodded. “No time to waste.”

“So,” Maya grinned, “You dash down the tunnel. It twists and bends, and you lose the sense of which direction you’re heading, although you’re clearly still headed down the tunnel. Suddenly, you come to a very large room. Roughly, you would guess it’s almost a 100 x 100 foot room, with a 30 foot tall ceiling!”

“Alright,” Misaki said. “I’ll go about 20 feet into the room and put Keestake down.”

“Very well!” Maya said, continuing. “One by one, the rest of you also make it to this room, and this is what you see! To your left are three areas sectioned off by two walls of brick. The first and closest section is completely empty. The second and third sections both have a raised platform with a figure lying down on top of them, and there is a faint glow coming from the figures. Beyond the last section, there is clearly a completely bricked off area. You can’t see what’s behind it, but there’s almost certainly some sort of space.” 

“Do we hear anything behind us?” Sayo asked. “Also, I’ve been meaning to ask, but how much time has passed? What time of day is it?”

“You hear faint sounds of scraping and cursing...” Maya said, pondering Sayo’s barrage of questions. “But it’s difficult to tell what time of day it is, seeing as how you’re underground. You’ve been down here for hours, but there's no telling how long exactly...”

“Well, we aren’t dead, so we still have some time...” Misaki reasoned. 

“If there’s a boat, and if there’s a way out, it’s in here.” Sayo said, determined. “Keestake’s map indicates this. Is there anything more specific we can see about the figures? Clearly they must be the King and Queen.”

Hagumi suddenly sits upright in her chair. “Hagumi would like to run over to the King and hold his hands!” Hagumi shouted, surprising everyone. “Just like Steak-kun did for the king and queen! I wanna wish that Steak-kun comes back to life!”

The room became dead silent. Maya’s pencil fell from her shocked hands, crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. 

“Hagumi...” Maya said, taking a deep breath. “Say exactly what you mean...” 

“I want Steak-kun to come back to life!” Hagumi said, looking around the table nervously. Everyone was in shock, and looking to Maya for guidance. “You said Steak-kun prayed using the ring on the King’s hand...there is a ring, isn’t there? I wanna do that, too! And bring Keestake back to life!”

“Hagumi, that probably wasn’t the wisest choice...” Misaki said, laughing nervously. “I’m going to try to stop her!”

“Just, hold on a minute...” Maya said, flipping through many books, scribbling notes, and making roles. After a few minutes of uncertainty, Maya finally looks up and smiles. 

“Alright, here’s the deal...” Maya began. “So, you ran to the King’s side, grabbed his hands, and made your wish. Misaki, you were too late to stop her, but you’re now next to her. As you were making the wish, the King began to sit up. Immediately after finishing the wish, you, Hagumi, begin to feel very tired. So incredibly tired. You faint, right then and there. But, because you were holding the hands of the zombie, which is indeed what Keestake’s wish ended up creating, it swings a mace at you and deals 5 points of damage!” 

“...oh...” Hagumi said, blushing slightly. “Is Keestake okay though?” 

“Nevermind that for now!” Misaki said. “We’ve gotta kill this zombie! I’m rolling to hit!”

“Ako is helping too!” Ako shouted.

“...I will also...” Rinko said. 

“Do you know how many rules I had to look up to see if that would work?” Maya laughed, and realized she was having a wonderful time. “Ako and Rinko, you’ll arrive next round.”

Initiative!  
Zombies always lose initiative!

Attack!

Misaki- 3 (+2)  
Zombie King Viledel- 9 (2D4+1)= 5 damage

“Misaki, your sword completely misses, and the King Viledel’s mace crashes down on your shoulder for 5 points of damage! You only have a single hit point left...” Maya said, wincing. “The rest of you are there to help her now! Roll to hit!”

Attack!

Ako- 14  
Ako- 7  
Rinko- 4  
Misaki- 11(+2)  
ZKV- 9

“Again, the Zombie King Viledel is missed…” Maya began, pausing for dramatic effect. “He swings his mace viciously at Ako! But Ako skillfully steps out of the way! New round!”

Attack!  
Ako- 12  
Ako- 6  
Misaki- 12 (+2)  
ZKV- 2

“Everyone missed! Huehehe. New round! Sayo, you hear gruff voices and footsteps coming down the passage!” Maya said excitedly. Everyone at the table groaned. 

Attack!  
Ako- 3  
Ako- 13  
Rinko- 18 (d4+1)= 2 damage  
Misaki- 3  
ZKV- 12 (2d4+1)= 4 damage

Maya grits her teeth. “Well, Rinko, you strike the zombie with a bolt for 2 points of damage… but it swings it’s mace around and smacks your side for 4 points of damage.” 

“I want to take my potion!” Misaki said hurriedly. “I need some hit points, maybe I can take the zombie on alone!” 

“Very well, but you won’t be able to attack this round!” Maya said, wincing again. “I sure do hope the zombie misses, but it’s quite good at hitting...”

Attack!

Ako- 3  
Ako- 20 (d4+2)= 3 damage  
Misaki- n/a  
ZKV- 9

“Ako!” Maya grinned. “Your dagger strikes true! The creature takes 3 points of damage, and fortunately for the others, swings at you and misses!” 

“So how many hit points do I get back?” Misaki said excitedly. 

“Aha...” Maya smiled, rolling a lot of dice. “About that! Roll four D10s, and add one to the total!”

“Ah...26?” Misaki said, confused.

“Yes. Write 26 off to the side, same row as your hit points.” Maya’s smile turned into a grin.

“Are you serious???” Misaki said, astounded. Hope filled the room once again. 

“Quite! You feel immensely powerful.” Maya nodded. “Any time you take damage, take it off of that number first. However, things are just starting to get...dicey.” Maya laughed, and Sayo groaned loudly at the terrible pun. “The zombie is still attacking, but the sounds of feet coming from the tunnel are becoming louder and louder.”

“I would like to prepare my Sleep spell.” Sayo said. “I am standing approximately 20 feet away from the entrance, and will cast it at the precise moment when 12 of them are in range.”

“Well, we’ll see how they file out of the tunnel, but I understand what you mean!” Maya smiled. “Now, back to the zombie fight!”

Attack!  
Ako- 12  
Ako- 10  
Rinko- 2  
Misaki- 10 (+2), (2d4+4)= 10 damage  
ZKV- n/a

“YES!” Maya shouted. “Your attack lands for 10 damage, destroying it completely!” Everyone cheered. “However! Misaki, you suddenly take 4 damage from behind!”

“What??” Misaki said, dumbfounded. “Who? Keestake?” 

“You wheel around and see a woman with pale skin, and a dried bloody hole in her stomach.” Maya nodded sadly. “The queen is attacking! What do you do?”

“Well, I attack her!” Misaki said, slightly angered. “The rest of you should go help Sayo.”

“That is easily done, as the Zombie Queen is completely focused on you.” Maya said, laughing. “However, we’ll come back to your fight in a minute. Some creatures are pouring in from the tunnel!”

“I want to cast Sleep.” Sayo said, repeating herself. 

“You notice that there is a large group of goblins charging down the tunnel.” Maya began. “You wave your hands and recite the magic which you’ve memorized, determined to cast magic. Five of them collapse to the ground, but five more are still charging at you! You won’t be able to attack them this round, but Ako and Rinko can! Roll to hit! Misaki, you too!”

Initiative!  
Ako-1  
Goblins-8

Attack!  
Ako- 18 (d4) = 4 damage  
Ako- 4  
Rinko- 5  
Misaki- 9 (+2) (2d4+4)= 11 damage  
G1- n/a  
G2- 12  
G3- 3  
G4- 9  
G5- 9  
Zombie Queen Liala- n/a

“Alright!” Maya cheered. “Ako, one of your daggers finds the neck of a goblin, killing it! Meanwhile, Misaki destroys the zombie queen in one hit! In reality, your minimum damage would have been enough to destroy it, huehehe. The others all missed!” 

“I’d like to go help the others!” Misaki said. “I just realized, this potion probably won’t last forever!”

“Huehehe, you may be right!” Maya laughed. “But it’ll take you a round to get to them, unfortunately. New round!”

Initiative:  
Rinko- 10  
Goblins- 1

Attack!  
Ako- 1  
Ako- 14 (d4+2)= 4 damage  
Sayo- 3  
G2- n/a  
G3- 20 (d6)= 3 damage  
G4- 9  
G5- 8  
“Ako, you kill the other goblin that was on you!” Maya said, nodding happily. “You now have no opponents in front of you, but you could turn and help Sayo. Sayo, you’re hit for 3 damage, a spear wound to your arm. Misaki, you’re now here, helping Rinko with her two goblins. New round!”

Initiative:  
Sayo- 8  
Goblins- 1

Attack!  
G3- 4  
G4- 9  
G5- 16 (d6)= 2 damage  
Ako- 5  
Ako- 18 (d4+2)= 5 damage  
Sayo- 10  
Rinko- 7  
Misaki- 9(+2), (2d4+4)= 12 damage 

“A goblin strikes Misaki for 2 damage, but Ako and Misaki both kill another Goblin!” Maya said. “There is still one left, but he’s looking rather nervous! It’s also at this time that Hagumi begins to awaken. You still feel incredibly weak, and tired, but you can potentially move around. If you would like to do anything, tell me!”

“Hagumi will...” Hagumi paused to think for a moment. “Hagumi will look around where the King and Queen were laying down. It’s probably too dangerous to go check on Steak-kun.”

“...I’m also… out of bolts...” Rinko said quietly. “I’m switching... to the magical Javelin...”

“Very well...” Maya said. Her eyes widened a bit as she jotted down some notes. “Just before this next attack, another group of Goblins come through the passage, but right behind them are two very big looking Orcs!”

Initiative:  
Misaki- 8  
Goblins/Orcs- 10

Attack!  
Ako- 4  
Ako- 5  
Rinko- 15 (A Lot of Fueeckin Damage)  
Sayo- 5  
Misaki- 1  
“Rinko, while all of your other companions are missing their attacks, you throw your javelin and strike the goblin. Suddenly, there is an explosion of light and thunder that knocks each of you down! You are all a bit stunned. Hagumi, you were the only one who clearly saw what happened! It looked almost as if Rinko shot a bolt of lightning!”

“What about the other enemies?” Misaki asked.

“You see multiple charred remains scattered about.” Maya said, watching Sayo’s looks of disgust. “The smell of burning flesh permeates the air. One very singed orc looks back at you, and runs screaming.”

“Disgusting.” Sayo said, holding her nose up. “Absolutely revolting.”

“Well, that being said, we need to find the boat and get out of here.” Misaki said anxiously. “Once my potion wears off, we’ll be screwed. We’re all down to only one or two hit points!”

“Well, what do you do?” Maya asked. “Hagumi has found the following items from searching around where the King and Queen are: Scale Mail and a Mace, both of which have a faint glow in the darkness. Also, one ring. It is not glowing.” 

“We need to break through that wall.” Sayo said. “Misaki, you should work on that. Hagumi, keep what you’ve found and help Misaki. In fact, put on the armor, I don’t think you have any armor yet. The rest of us will search for other clues.”

“Very quickly,” Maya began, “Sayo finds a lever in the far wall. Besides that, you don’t seem to find anything else of note. I also need to know how you’re attempting to break through the brick wall.”

“Ako, come check this lever for traps.” Sayo ordered. “Misaki, use the mace. That makes more sense than breaking your sword against the brick.”

“Would you stop ordering me around!” Misaki said, quite put out. “Yeah, I use the Mace.”

“I rolled a 25% to find traps...” Ako frowned. “So I don’t know if there are any...”

“Huehehe,” Maya laughed. “I’m glad you’ve figured out the basic rule for finding traps, but it is ultimately up to me whether you find any or not! So don’t jump to conclusions! Now Misaki, you’re considered to be attacking this wall, so please roll the D20 12 times for me! While you’re doing that, what do you do about the lever? It doesn’t seem to be trapped!”

“I’ll pull it.” Sayo said, rather annoyed. 

“As soon as you pull the lever,” Maya began, “The entire wall beside the lever comes crashing down and a great gust of bitterly cold wind and rain crashes into you.”

“Wait! Does that mean we’ve found it?” Ako shouted excitedly. 

“Yupp! Just outside is the Ocean!” Maya smiled. “Oh, it’s also getting pretty dark outside, I should add...”

“We still don’t have a boat!” Hagumi cried. “I’m gonna go check on Steak-kun now!”

“Let’s all help Misaki tear down that wall.” Ako shouted. 

“Hagumi!” Maya smiled. “When you reach Keestake, there seems to be something different about him...” 

“Is he alive??” Hagumi cheered joyfully. 

“Well, how can you tell if someone is alive?” Maya questioned.

“If they’re hungry!” Hagumi replied.

“Well… yes… but Keestake isn’t saying anything… How else might you tell?” Maya said, stifling laughter. 

“Oh, if he’s breathing!” Hagumi screamed. “Is he breathing?!”

“He is indeed breathing!” Maya grinned. “But he is quite unconscious at the moment.”

“I want to drag him closer to everyone else!” Hagumi grinned. 

“While you are still rather weak, you can manage to do that much… but it will take some time! Alright Misaki, let’s see the first four rolls. Ako, Rinko, and Sayo, go ahead and roll twice.”

Misaki’s rolls  
#1- 12 (11 damage)  
#2- 14 (10 damage)  
#3- 14 (11 damage)  
#4- 17 (8 damage) 

Ako- 7 and 16  
Rinko- 20 and 17 (2 damage)  
Sayo- 20 and 19 (2 damage)

“Wow!” Maya said, very surprised. “After two blows, Misaki puts a hole in the wall. It’s up too high for anyone else to see, but you peer inside. By the light of the magical mace, you can make out… what you think might be… some sort of boat!”

“We’re actually gonna make it!” Hagumi cheered. “Hooray! Hooray! We’re saved!”

“After the first four rounds of hits, you deal a total of 44 damage to the wall, and any character can freely go in and out of the chamber.”

“Let’s go inside and see what it is.” Sayo said. “Ako, come with me.”

“You find that there is indeed a small galley, 30 feet long by 8 feet wide.” Maya began. “The inscription reads:

Here lies Prince Horedel  
Brought down by Illness  
In the Twentieth Year of Viledel’s Reign

However, the hole you have made is not big enough for the boat to fit through, and you must keep at it. 

“Hagumi will help, too!” Hagumi cheered. 

Misaki’s rolls + additional damage done by others

#5- 8  
#6- 2 (1 damage by Rinko)  
#7- 18 (8 damage)  
#8- 7  
#9- 17 (12 damage)  
#10- 18 (10 damage)  
#11- 6  
#12- 9 (2 damage by Ako)

“It grows darker and darker outside, and the wind is howling louder and louder!” Maya shouted as if trying to shout over the wind. “Misaki, you are very tired. You can feel that the effects of the potion have worn off. The hole is still barely too small for the boat to fit through. You do hear other noises over the driving wind, rain and broiling sea, and that is an odd chanting… coming from the tunnel area!”

“No!” Sayo angrily muttered in frustration. “They came back?”

“We need to make this hole big enough.” Misaki stated. “Let’s give it another round!”

“I’ll go… hold them back...” Rinko said.

“No, Rinrin!” Ako cried. “Don’t go!”

“Roll to hit.” Maya said solemnly.

Ako- 4  
Sayo- 7  
Misaki- 18 (10 damage)  
Hagumi- 9

“With a mighty swing,” Maya began, “The mace shatters a large chunk of the brick, sufficiently widening the hole enough that you believe the boat will slide through. But now you need to slide it!”

“Misaki, Ako and I will do the sliding.” Sayo said. “Hagumi, go help Rinko!”

“Two goblins rush from the tunnel entrance, and you can hear more coming!” Maya said, looking very worried. “They’re engaging in combat, roll initiative.”

Initiative:  
Ako- 5  
Goblins- 9

Attack!

Rinko- 12 (d4)= 4 damage  
Hagumi- 17 (d6)= 3 damage  
Goblin- n/a  
Goblin- n/a

“You kill both the goblins, but you hear more coming! What do you do?” Maya asked.

“...are they close...to getting the boat to the water?” Rinko asked.

Maya made a few rolls. “Misaki, with her strength, has hefted the boat over halfway there in a single round!”

“Come get in the damn boat!” Misaki shouted angrily. “Or uh… that’s what my character says...”

“Come on Rinrin, let’s escape!” Hagumi smiled confidently. Rinko nodded in approval.

“As you are running back to the boat to help, you hear more creatures behind you!” Maya explained. “By the time you reach the boat, arrows are landing all around you. Just as the boat is getting into the water, Rinko… you are struck in the back with an arrow, for three points of damage. You are unconscious and bleeding out!”

“No!!! Not RinRin!” Ako and Hagumi cried. 

“We all need to get in the boat, and fast.” Sayo said. “I’ll help with Keestake, someone else grab Rinko.”

“As you’re getting in the boat,” Maya began, shaking her head sadly. “Arrows are landing all around you. Misaki is able to give one final push and the boat begins to float in the water. Sayo successfully pulls Keestake aboard, and Misaki picks up the unconscious Rinko and lays her in the boat. Arrows are thudding against the boat, and two of them hit...Rinko. Rinko takes a further 7 points of damage, bringing her total to negative 8.”

“We need to try to stop the bleeding!” Ako cried. Hagumi got up to hug Rinko.

“...It’s just a game...” Rinko said. “It’s okay if I don’t make it this time...” 

“Alright Rinko, they’re trying to bind your wounds!” Maya said. “It’s not really in the rules, but I’m going to allow you a saving throw versus death. If you can manage that, your character will live! Otherwise...well, you know.”

Rinko’s saving throw vs. Death- 9

“...well, it was fun... while it lasted!” Rinko said, falling limp in her chair, a slight smile on her face. Ako and Hagumi wailed ceaselessly. 

“Sayo?” Misaki said, looking closely at Sayo. “Are you… crying?” 

“Fucking… no… I’m not crying!” Sayo sniffed. “I just have allergies.” Sayo said, trying not to cry. 

“And here I was, thinking you would be the most-level headed...” Misaki said, giving a slight smile. 

“Sorry about that, Rinko...” Maya said. “I didn’t think they would get three 20’s...”

“Damn!” Sayo said. “Why couldn’t they have hit me and my useless character?”

“I mean… if you’d like to stand up I’m sure I can arrange it?” Maya said, causing Misaki to lose herself in laughter.  
“Alright, alright, let’s finish this up!” Maya said, gathering everyone’s attention. “Wind, rain, and rather large waves threaten to capsize the boat frequently. Melisana, who is sailing the ship and giving orders for rowing, is worried that they might not survive. However, when you look to the island, it is literally being torn apart. Tornados can be seen on every corner of the island. The manor, the temple, the orc and goblin boats; everything is destroyed. After a few hours, everything clears away. The island looks nothing like when you first landed…

And that’s the end of the module!” Maya said, concluding. “I hope you all enjoyed this, and enjoyed my DMing! I had a lot of fun too, huehehe!”

“How can you say you had fun when Rinko died!” Hagumi frowned.

“...I’ll just… make another character...” Rinko said.

“Wait, you can do that??” Hagumi said, shocked. Ako looked to Maya for confirmation. 

“Of course she can make another character!” Maya said, laughing. “It’s not like she’s banned from playing now that her first character is dead!” 

“Oh, that’s good to know...” Sayo said quietly. 

“Well, I must admit, I had loads more fun than I thought I was going to have. My character is awesome.” Misaki said, grinning.

“Ako had lots of fun, too!” Ako said. “I wish Rinrin could have lived, but I guess that happens sometimes...I do really like my sneaky character!”

“My character is very weak...” Sayo said, a bit perplexed. “But I suppose it’s also unfinished.”

“I like my character, but I don’t like all the stress...” Hagumi said. “It was really exciting and scary! But the outcomes made me a bit sad...”

“...I really enjoyed… the role playing...” Rinko said. “You were very good… at voices...”

“Huehehe, gee, thanks!” Maya smiled. “It really has been a wonderful day! I’m glad you all enjoyed it. Thanks for staying so long to see this module through to the end! Maybe we can set up a time to do another module someday...but you aren’t under any obligation to play, of course! I’ll hold on to your character sheets for you.”

“Thanks Maya!” Ako grinned. “I definitely want to do this again!”

That night, each member of the D&D group arrived home and immediately began blowing up their group chats about the great time they had. Word of these daring activities and heroic feats spread throughout the girl bands, and a general curiosity was stirred within each of them. Some members were disapproving of such barbaric sounding activities, but at the same time curious as to what would drive people to enjoy such a game. 

Lying in bed, a certain individual read through the various group chats, and smiled. “All according to my great and fantastic, fail-proof plan...” she said to herself, yawning. “Ah well, it’s breadtime.”

Experience!

Ako- 619  
Rinko- Deceased  
Sayo- 225  
Misaki- 867  
Hagumi- 1738

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!!! <3  
> Maya's plan at the beginning of this chapter was to actually include the wishing ring (which the module specifically says not to include, but how could Maya let Hagumi be so distraught?) Maya intended it to be used *after* they left the island, but Hagumi...yeah...  
> This will be the end of Bandori D&D, but if I make another, it'll be called Bandori D&D 2. Almost certainly a slightly different cast of players, almost certainly the module called Forest Oracle. Please let me know what characters sound fun to include if there is a next time!


End file.
